Pay increase on way for members of local boards

Former North Shore City Council councillor Vivienne Keohane. Photo / Paul Estcourt

Auckland's local boards are seeking to share in a $280,000 salary boost to compensate members for extra responsibilities as their boards' roles become clearer.

The money, set by a Remuneration Authority determination in June, is in a $5.65 million pool for 21 boards.

Although the boards' 149 members have been sworn in and received their first fortnightly pay cheques on Thursday, only one board has held its first true business agenda meeting.

When the authority set basic salaries it flagged a review of the pool once local boards were elected and their leadership and committee structure decided.

It took a conservative approach to setting members' pay because of uncertainty of how the new structure would operate and it assumed board roles would not be fulltime.

Authority chairman John Errington said yesterday an amending determination would be issued to cover the period up to June.

It awaited the boards' proposals for remuneration to recognise extra responsibilities, such as the role of deputy chairman.

He would not say how much extra was available for the boards.

But some board members told the Herald they understood the pay rise would equate to $2000 a member.

"I'm unhappy about it because I don't think it's fair on the public," said Kaipatiki Local Board member and former North Shore City Council councillor Vivienne Keohane.

"In most cases we have little or no work so far, nor are we likely to as many boards are trying to have one meeting a month."

But Albert-Eden Local Board chairman Peter Haynes said his board had worked through a weighty agenda and faced a busy six months of planning, setting a budget of nearly $12 million and public consultation.

Dr Haynes said the workload forced him to take leave from his job as a management lecturer.

He said some of the board's eight members would have to work fulltime too.

The basic salaries for local board members range from $20,100 to $37,100 a year.

For board chairpersons, salaries range from $38,900 to $78,400.