Toowoomba Regional Council approves $27k pay rise for Empire Theatres board of directors

After a difficult 18 months due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the board of directors will enjoy a healthy pay rise over the next two years from the council.

Deputy Geoff McDonald (left) and Empire Theatres board of directors chairman Andrew Wielandt.

The board directors of Toowoomba’s premier theatre and entertainment precinct will be paid an extra $27,000 in remuneration a year, following a council vote.

The Empire Theatres board, made up of chair Andrew Wielandt and eight directors, successfully lobbied to have its annual compensation increased over the next two years.

Under the new agreement, which will be staged over the next two financial years, Mr Wielandt’s remuneration will increase from $3440 a year to $10,000, while directors will go from $2400 a year to $5000.

Any changes to pay required a council vote due to Empire Theatres being a council controlled entity.

In a letter to the council, the board stated it had waived remuneration during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic last year, despite continuing their responsibilities.

“All directors over the years, including the current board, have performed their role in the main as a community service,” the letter said.

“Additionally, apart from a small number of ‘corporate’ events, directors pay full rate to attend shows at the theatre even if only to view the product which they may not ordinarily attend.

“The nature of the business is significantly greater than it was at the formation of the company and the various obligations of the company and therefore directors have increased substantially without a commensurate increase in annual fee to reflect increased complexity of the business.”

Finance and business strategy general manager Ann-Marie Johnston clarified to councillors that the pay increase would not affect the Empire Theatre’s budgets going forward.

Addressing councillors at Wednesday’s committee meeting, Mr Wielandt said board members were aware of the responsibility the role carried.

“Boards are incredibly mindful of our criminal and civil responsibility under the corporate law, and we take it very seriously,” he said.

“As a consequence, we’re incredibly mindful of the reputational risk to the council, but also ourselves.”

The council has paid remuneration to the Empire Theatres board since 1999.

The Empire Theatres managed a small surplus of $20,000 in the 2019-20 financial year, despite losing more than $1m in potential revenue due to the pandemic.

This was mainly from cancelled and postponed performances, events and functions, totalling $880,000.

The motion was passed unanimously.