Jurisdictional comparisons

In making the Determination, the Tribunal is required to consider similar allowances for elected members of local government bodies in other States.82 The Tribunal also proposes to consider allowances paid to Council members in the Northern Territory. The Australian Capital Territory does not have a separate system of local government.

In Australian states, an independent tribunal or commission generally sets the value of Council member allowances (as an exact amount or a range). The exception is Tasmania, where the values are set in regulations.

In the Northern Territory, allowance ranges are currently set in guidelines issued by the Minister for Local Government. However, legislative reforms made in 2019 gave the Northern Territory Remuneration Tribunal the power to set the maximum values of allowances.83

Each Australian jurisdiction groups Councils in allowance categories, and sets the value of allowances (or allowance ranges) differently for each group. The factors used to divide Councils into allowance categories vary between jurisdictions (table 4). For example:

  • Councils in Tasmania are categorised based on revenue and population, in a way similar to Victoria
  • New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia use a wider variety of factors to categorise Councils.

Table 4: Factors used to determine allowance categories for Councils across Australian jurisdictions

Jurisdiction Population Size Revenue/ expenditure Geography(a) Extent of services provided Infrastructure and assets Growth potential/extent of development Other factors(b)
New South Wales Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Victoria Yes Yes
Queensland Yes Yes Yes Yes
South Australia Yes Yes Yes Yes
Western Australia Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Tasmania Yes Yes
Northern Territory Yes

Notes: (a) Includes the size of a local government area and the spread or distribution of its population. (b) Includes social, economic and environmental factors.

Sources: Department of Housing, Local Government and Regional Services (NT), Discussion Paper: Elected Member Allowances (NT Government: Darwin, 2009); Local Government Act 1993 (NSW), s240(1); Local Government Act 1999 (SA), s76(3); Local Government Regulation 2012 (Qld), s242; State Government of Victoria, Recognition and Support, the Victorian Government’s Policy Statement on Local Government Mayoral and Councillor Allowances and Resources (State Government of Victoria: Melbourne, 2008); Tasmanian Industrial Commission, Report into Councillor Allowances (Tasmanian Industrial Commission: Hobart, 2018), 17; Western Australia Salaries and Allowances Tribunal, Determination Under Section 7A of the Salaries and Allowances Act 1975 – Local Government Chief Executive Officers (Salaries and Allowances Tribunal: Perth, 2012), 8.

Australian jurisdictions generally apply different allowance arrangements to capital city Councils. For example, a capital city Council may be placed into its own allowance category, or its allowances may be set using a separate process. An exception is Tasmania, where the value of allowances for Hobart City and Launceston City Councils are the same.

Table 5 summarises the values of allowances in Councils (excluding capital cities) across Australian jurisdictions. For this group of Councils, Victoria’s maximum allowance for both Councillors and Mayors is the second lowest of all jurisdictions, after South Australia.

Table 6 summarises the values of allowances payable to capital city Council members across Australian jurisdictions. Broadly speaking, when comparing these allowances, Melbourne City Council falls somewhere in the middle of the range.

However, caution needs to be exercised when comparing Council member allowances across jurisdictions, given differences in Council roles and functions.84

Table 5: Jurisdictional comparison of Council allowances, excluding capital city Councils, June 2021

Jurisdiction Category Mayor (or equivalent) Value of allowances ($ per annum)(a) Deputy Mayor (or equivalent) Councillors
New South Wales

lowest

highest

18,970-38,690

57,590-144,450

N/A

N/A

9,190-12,160

18,430-34,140

Victoria

lowest

highest

up to 62,884

up to 100,434

N/A

N/A

8,833-21,049

13,123-31,444

Queensland

lowest

highest

108,222

258,066

62,435

178,981

54,110

154,006

South

Australia(b)(c)

lowest

highest

26,000

93,400

8.125

29,188

6,500

23,350

Western

Australia(d)

lowest

highest

2,308-35,902

75,862-137,269

1,923 - 15,576

37,419 - 54,116

1,795-10,550

24,604-31,678

Tasmania

lowest

highest

34,128

133,347

20,096

62,704

9,777

38,099

Northern

Territory(e)

lowest

highest

up to 35,383

up to 114,455

up to 14,661

up to 41,926

up to 12,907

up to 35,791

Notes: (a) Excludes County Councils established to perform specific functions. (b) Excludes a ‘travel time allowance’, which may be provided to a member of a non-metropolitan Council. (c) Presiding members of prescribed committees are entitled to an annual allowance of 1.5 times the Councillor allowance, while presiding members of committees which are not prescribed receive an additional amount of up to $1,680 per annum. (d) Councils may elect to pay Councillors a fee in respect of every meeting they attend, or provide an annual allowance in lieu of meeting fees. Values calculated on the basis of a Council opting for an annual allowance. Mayors and Deputy Mayors (or equivalent) are also entitled to an additional allowance on top of their attendance fees (whether paid annually or per meeting). (e) Values include a Base Allowance, Electoral Allowance, Professional Development Allowance, and the maximum extra meeting allowance.

Sources: Department of Local Government, Housing and Community Development (NT), Legislation, last updated 2 September 2020, https://dlghcd.nt.gov.au/publications-and-policies/local-government-leg…; Local Government (General) Regulations 2015 (Tas); Local Government Victoria; New South Wales Local Government Remuneration Tribunal, Annual Report and Determination, 2020; Queensland Local Government Remuneration Tribunal, Annual Report 2019, 2019; Remuneration Tribunal of South Australia, Allowances for Members of Local Government Councils, Determination No. 6 of 2018; Western Australia Salaries and Allowances Tribunal, Determination of the Salaries and Allowances Tribunal on Local Government Chief Executive Officers and Elected Members, 2020.

Table 6: Jurisdictional comparison of Council allowances, capital city Councils, June 2021

Council Mayor (or equivalent) Value of allowances ($ per annum) Deputy Mayor (or equivalent) Councillors
City of Sydney 196,740 - 263,040 N/A 27,640 - 40,530
Melbourne City Council 200,870 100,434 47,165
Brisbane City Council(b) 365,316 299,538 160,938
City of Adelaide 177,000 38,895 25,930(c)
City of Perth (d) 86,113 - 184,784 24,604 - 65,995 24,604 - 31,678
City of Hobart 133,347 62,704 38,099
City of Darwin (e) 161,897 58,284 49,517

Notes: (a) Depending on the jurisdiction, allowances are either specified as an exact amount (Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Hobart), a range (Sydney and Perth) or a maximum amount (Darwin). (b) The Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor of Brisbane City Council receive both a salary and an allowance, while Councillors only receive a salary. Values reflect both (but exclude superannuation entitlements). (c) Presiding members of prescribed committees are entitled to an annual allowance of 1.5 times the Councillor allowance, while presiding members of committees which are not prescribed receive an additional amount of up to $1,680 per annum. (d) Councils may elect to pay Councillors a fee in respect of every meeting they attend or provide an annual allowance in lieu of meeting fees. Values calculated on the basis of a Council opting for an annual allowance. Mayors and Deputy Mayors (or equivalent) are also entitled to an additional allowance on top of their attendance fees (whether paid annually or per meeting). (e) Figures are the maximum allowances payable, and include a Base Allowance, Electoral Allowance, Professional Development Allowance, and the maximum extra meeting allowance.

Sources: Brisbane Independent Council Remuneration Tribunal, Findings and Recommendations Report, 2019; Department of Local Government, Housing and Community Development (NT), Legislation, last updated 2 September 2020, https://dlghcd.nt.gov.au/publications-and-policies/local-government-leg…; Local Government (General) Regulations 2015 (Tas); Local Government Victoria; New South Wales Local Government Remuneration Tribunal, Annual Report and Determination, 2020; Remuneration Tribunal of South Australia, Allowances for Members of Adelaide City Council, Determination No. 7 of 2018; Western Australia Salaries and Allowances Tribunal, Determination of the Salaries and Allowances Tribunal on Local Government Chief Executive Officers and Elected Members, 2020.

References

  1. VIRTIPS Act, s23A(5)(a)).
  2. Local Government Act 2019 (NT), s106.
  3. Productivity Commission, Shifting the Dial: 5 Year Productivity Review, Supporting Paper No. 16, Local Government (Commonwealth Government of Australia: Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 3 August 2017), 3-4.

Updated