Victorian senior public service executives win whopping pay boost

Senior public servants — some already earning more than $500k — have won a healthy pay boost worth thousands of dollars more just in time for Christmas.

Senior public service executives in Victoria have been awarded a Christmas surprise with their pay bands set to be boosted by up to 4.5 per cent, potentially adding thousands of dollars in take-home pay.

The Victorian Independent Remuneration Tribunal on Thursday released its latest ruling into the pay of high-ranking members of the public service, which includes leaders in organisations such as Fire Rescue Victoria, Victoria Parks, Country Fire Authority, Water boards and the Victorian Managed Insurance Authority, boosting pay bands to new levels.

The tribunal ruled to increase salary bands between 4 and 4.5 per cent.

At the lower level this means that executives would earn at least $225,000, an increase of $8625.

At the top end of the band level 3 executives will now be paid between $419,001 and $557,435.

Pay will be boosted for high-ranking members of the public service, including leaders in organisations such as Fire Rescue Victoria. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

In justifying the boost the panel said the executive pay brackets needed to be increased to fall in line with the private sector and reflect the roles and workloads taken on in these jobs.

However, the panel did take the current cost-of-living environment acknowledging that the panel “weighed the impact that it’s decision may have on the level of trust between the community and the Victorian public sector” and made sure that the rise was not “out of step — with “prevailing economic conditions”.

The new bands will be backdated to July 1.

The move will not automatically boost pay packets unless the judgment means the executive is at the lower rung and will automatically have their pay bracket adjusted, but it will mean executives can ask for hefty increases in the future.

The panel also acknowledge the increase was above the Victorian government 3 per cent annual wage increase policy, but said the boost was warranted taking into account the statutory superannuation changes introduced by the federal government.