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
- VIRTIPS Act, s23A(5)(a)).
- Local Government Act 2019 (NT), s106.
- 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