Pay doesn’t reflect workload – councillors
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Waimakariri councillors received a pay bump this week, but some elected members say the $55,983 salary doesn't reflect their workload.
The Waimakariri District Council voted to accept a 3.7% pay rise at a council meeting in Kaiapoi on Tuesday (July 2).
Councillors say they are grateful for the increase, but also wanted provision for KiwiSaver, ACC payments and incentives to encourage greater diversity around the council table.
The Remuneration Authority sets the pay rises for councillors and mayors across the country, with the latest increase taking effect this week.
Mayor Dan Gordon’s pay increased by $5433 to $152,271, while deputy mayor Neville Atkinson will receive $71,940.
Councillor Philip Redmond said anyone thinking councillors took on the job for the money were ‘‘deluded’’.
‘‘To get greater diversity we probably need to double the remuneration.
‘‘It does compensate us, but it doesn’t really consider that it is very close to a full-time job.’’
Councillor Joan Ward said the pay rise was "a welcome little increase, given our workload’’ and rising inflation.
‘‘If anyone thinks being a councillor is really a part-time job they are fooling themselves.’’
As councillors were considered contractors, there was no provision for KiwiSaver and ACC payments were ‘‘quite exorbitant’’, she said.
Councillor Tim Fulton said he appreciated the expense allowances, including mileage, which made the role sustainable.
‘‘These provisions should encourage people of all ages and stages in life, whether they are 23 or 73, to stand for council.
‘‘It is important we enable people to be able to take on these roles without impacting on family or their lives.’’
Community board members and chairs will also receive pay increases.
The Remuneration Authority sets the new rates using a system that ranks councils by size, according to population, total assets, total expenditure, socioeconomic deprivation indices and a complex weighting process.
For a mayor, the salary can range from about $59,000 to more than $300,000 in Auckland.
A councillor's salary can range from $14,274 in the Chatham Islands to more than $100,000 in Christchurch and Auckland.
There has been mixed reaction to the pay rises.
Whanganui mayor Andrew Tripe said it was the wrong time for his pay bump, but the decision to lift rates was made independently of councils.
In Rangitīkei, councillors who did not have chairing responsibilities were paid under $30,000 a year.
Mayor Andy Watson recently said told Local Democracy Reporting that councillors faced increasing levels of abuse, particularly on social media.
"People don't understand what is required of modern-day councillors, or the scale of the job and how much it has increased over time."
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Poll: Should drivers retake the theory test every 10 years?
Drivers get where they need to go, but sometimes it seems that we are all abiding by different road rules (for example, the varying ways drivers indicate around a roundabout).
Do you think drivers should be required to take a quick driving theory test every 10 years?
Vote in the poll and share any road rules that you've seen bent! 😱
-
48.1% Yes
-
50% No
-
1.9% Other - I'll share below
Here's Thursday's thinker!
I am lighter than air, but a hundred people cannot lift me. What am I?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
Hero
“I was born and raised in war. To be honest, those are not good memories.
I really like Iran, and I really miss it, but I couldn’t be myself there. Even though my family didn’t like my decision, I left Iran. I promised myself that I would do whatever I can for all communities, especially for the kids, so they do not have the same experience I had.
I studied software engineering in Iran and left in 2006. I went to Malaysia and stayed in Kuala Lumpur for seven years. I was admitted to Lincoln University to do my PhD here, but unfortunately, I couldn’t afford the expenses. I requested a scholarship, but they told me I had to be there for six months first. So, I stayed in Malaysia and did my PhD in network security. In December 2013, I came to New Zealand with a work visa.
It took me a while to connect with the Iranian community here. I volunteered with the Multicultural Council, SPCA, and community patrol, and I established the Christchurch Iranian Society in 2017. Before that, I started working on Radio Toranj, the only Farsi-language radio show in New Zealand.
One of the reasons I started organizing cultural events was to showcase Iranian culture. I wanted to show people that we have delicious food, colorful dresses, traditional customs, and our own instruments. My hope was to show people that we are not what you see in the media.
I am working to involve all the communities that celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year, in the Nowruz festival in March 2025. We want to share this celebration not only with our community but with the public as well. It’s better when it’s shared.
I remember the first time someone from Dunedin called me and asked, Hero, can you help? Something happened, and they keep declining Iranian visa applications. When I heard that, I felt insulted. We are still human, so how can they do that?
Through this journey, I’ve learned a lot. Every single day, people with different cases call me, and I try to share my knowledge and guide them as much as I can.
I have received several awards, including the Christchurch Civic Award and an Award of Recognition for my contributions to the community during the pandemic. In 2021, I established Canterbury Kia Ora Academy, a charitable trust. Through this charity, I can help other communities as well, not just the Iranian community.”
- Hero
View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
www.humansofchch.org......
Loading…
