NT councils’ principal members deserve more: LGANT president
TOP dogs — mayors and presidents — of the Northern Territory’s 18 councils could cost Territorian’s more than $1.6 million this year, with allowances rising for the start of the financial year.
News
Don't miss out on the headlines from News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
TOP dogs of the Northern Territory’s 18 municipal and regional councils could cost Territorian’s more than $1.6 million this year, with allowances rising for the start of the financial year according to the Local Government Act.
The mayor’s allowances, varying between each council, are made up of three components with the base allowance making about three quarters of a mayor’s wage and an electoral allowance making up the rest of their salary, bar a $3,743.50 personal development allowance given to every elected member.
However unlike other elected members they do not receive an extra meeting allowance.
Atop the mayor’s allowances Darwin lord mayor Kon Vatskalis could earn as much $161,091.40 this financial year.
TOP STORIES
CHARGES laid over Tiger Brennan Drv double fatal
VICTIM’S family rubbishes horror crash driver’s apology claim
TERRITORY fraudsters struck off by ASIC
MINISTER claims prison escapes only “abscondments”
His annual base allowance, $124,569.90 is more than any other principal member’s maximum claimable allowance, while Coomalie, Belyuen and Wagait councils’ principal member earns a base salary of just $24,914.87, as well as their electoral allowance and professional development allowance.
Local Governments Association of the NT president Damien Ryan said he didn’t think elected members were paid enough for what they did.
OUR best value NT News subscription deal yet: $1 a week for the first 12 weeks
“(As Alice Springs mayor) I never get out under about 80 hours a week, it’s not the highest paid of jobs and most principal members put in a huge amount of work,” he said.
“My first involvement with Territory Day was at 7am and I finished cleaning up at 10pm last night, not sure how many hours other trades do those hours.”
COMPETITION: WIN a motorhome or caravan, plus other daily prizes up for grabs!
Mr Ryan he said he felt principal members weren’t paid enough for their sacrifices.
“A lot of work is done on the weekend while others are enjoying time with their families,” he said.
“Sometimes people don’t fully understand the amount of work that’s being done.”
“You look at regional member of a regional council, a massive amount of travel, the workload is rather large.
“There is no super, there is no holiday pay, there is no termination pay.”
IN OTHER NEWS
Mr Ryan said he didn’t do the job for the money and felt other elected members were in the same boat.
“It’s not about the pay, it’s not about the hours,” he said.
“I can’t speak for others I think it’s the best job in Alice Springs, I’m a very privileged position to be elected by my people.”
Councils and elected members are not always in favour of pay rises however, with Darwin alderman Rebecca Want de Rowe consistently voting against any pay rise, citing she doesn’t feel council should be benefiting while their municipality’s economy is struggling and Palmerston council last year rejected a pay rise, saying they were yet to prove themselves, after only having been in the job for a couple of months.
Crims could get up to 10 years jail for new NT ram raid offence
A Darwin supermarket has welcomed new laws after the store was allegedly targeted in a ram raid, which caused thousands of dollars worth of damage. WATCH THE VIDEO.
SPORTS SHORTS: All the NT sports stories you may have missed
Our weekly wrap of the best stories from across the Top End which sports fans need to read to be across all the action.