Rodney Stevens
Clarence Valley councillors have voted six to three to accept a 3 per-cent pay rise for the 2023 2024 financial year after a motion to not increase renumeration was defeated.
At the May 23 Clarence Valley Council meeting, Cr Alison Whaites put forward a three-part motion pushing for councillors not to adopt the 3 per-cent pay increase, which was seconded by Cr Debrah Novak.
The increase in fees payable to councillors was determined by the Office of Local Government’s renumeration tribunal and is voted on by each council.
The motion from Cr Whaites, which went against the council staff recommendation, was:
That: 1. Council note the determination of the Tribunal.
- fees payable to the elected members not increase from the amount adopted in 2022/2023.
- the Deputy Mayor’s allowance remain the approved allowance that was adopted in 2022/2023.
“It does make me sick to the stomach that we’re the only people that actually have to vote for our own pay rise,” Cr Whaites said.
“It causes me stress, anxiety, a division of councillors that I felt last time and also bullying on social media, but I did stand as a councillor saying I would not take a pay rise, that I would not take super.
“The three per-cent pay rise works out at not much, $3.46 per day…but right now our community and Australia is in more financial hardship than what it was last year.
“We are only at the beginning of this recession, which I believe we are heading into one, and we need to support our residents and we need to help them survive through this economic hardship we are moving into.
“Today I would like to see all nine councillors vote for my amendment and not accept a pay rise.”
Speaking against Cr Whaites motion, Cr Greg Clancy said I know that there are people out there waiting for us to give ourselves a pay rise and they’re going to attack.
“I don’t need the pay rise personally, but we are supposed to be a professional body of people and we went for many years with the previous council and the ones before that where there was no increase,” he said.
“I believe that the renumeration for councillors is not exorbitant, and any increase to keep up with general increases is not noses in the trough.
“I can understand that it’s difficult for Cr Whaites and others, and me to support a rise because it’s for ourselves, but I don’t see it being for ourselves, I see it being for councillors on Clarence Valley Council.
“I also question, how by us not taking the increase it will help the community, because I can’t see how the money we save here would directly go back into the pockets of our community members.”
Cr Karen Toms then moved the council officer’s recommendation to accept a 3 per-cent pay increase and for the Deputy Mayors allowance of $7,140 plus three per-cent to be funded from the Mayor’s allowance, as a foreshadowed motion.
Speaking for Cr Whaites’ motion, Cr Jeff Smith said there was something fundamentally wrong with the whole system where councillors keep voting annually on their own pay increases and he was sticking to his promise not to vote for, or accept, a pay increase in his first term as a councillor.
Speaking against Cr Whaites’ motion, Cr Steve Pickering said there were increasing costs that as a councillor you are not compensated for, and the 3 per-cent rise was below inflation.
Cr Whaites motion was defeated six votes to three, with Cr’s Whaites, Smith and Novak voting for.
Councillors then voted six to three on Cr Toms motion to accept the three per-cent rise, with Cr’s Clancy, Day, Johnstone, Pickering, Tiley, Toms supporting the pay rise.