17/09/2025
A note worth reading as we are often surprised that readers think councillors are highly paid “fat cats”. They receive closer to 34k a year for their work.
We didn’t cover this “expenses scandal” as we did not see it as a story. Some may disagree with this judgement, but there’s been plenty of coverage elsewhere to appease.
- MO
𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁 𝘂𝗽 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲?
Anyone following council issues could not have failed to notice the media having a field day over NBC councillor expenses. I'm extremely disappointed by some of the reporting on the issue and believe if journalists are going to dissect these expenses, then the public needs to hear the full story.
The following account is based on my speech to Council last night on the issue - with a bit of extra detail.
To start with, I note councillors received a basic fee during the 2024-2025 financial year of $33,816 + super or $2,818 per month.
This year, that will rise to $34,824 + super, or $2,902 per month.
In Pittwater Ward, for most of the last four years, I have worked in excess of 40 hours per week to fulfil my duties as a councillor and I know others have made the same effort.
Under the Councillor Expenses Policy on which we voted last night, all councillors are eligible each year for:
A vehicle mileage allowance in accord with the Local Government (state) Award, for travel related to our work as councillors.
Meals and refreshments while attending council events, meetings and conferences.
$10,000 towards expenses for non-council events.
$2,000 towards training, educational and professional body memberships.
$6,500 towards seminars and conferences.
$10,000 towards professional development.
$1,200 towards subscriptions.
$1,500 for a home office or stationary.
$9,000 for child or other caring support.
$6,500 for computer, laptop.
$75 per month for a mobile phone.
$100 download apps to devices.
$500 international data roaming.
$960 for home internet.
Many of these provisions are standard for a professional person and some office worker positions. Some are offered deliberately to attract a broad range of candidates to stand for council: for example, parents of babies and toddlers are offered childcare allowances. Young people, including students whose finances are limited, do not have the resources to support council work in the same way that the lawyers, economists, and business owners on council do.
The professional development funding enables councillors to complete courses, offered largely through the NSW Local Government Association, that equips us to serve the community. That includes the “Company Directors” course, now tailored for councillors, worth nearly $10,000, that has been undertaken by councillors across the political spectrum for many years. Similarly, the interstate conferences, that some of us have attended, allow councillors to learn and keep up to date with the broad range of issues we deal with. That includes the planning conference Frenchs Forest Councillor Ethan Hrnjak attended in Darwin this year, a topic critical to council business especially at the moment.
Unfortunately the media has seized on one headline about a Greens councillor whose expenses totalled $31,000 last financial year. Anyone who does their sums will see this lies within the guidelines and was approved as such.
For context, I’m including the published expenses of councillors from the former Pittwater Council area, plus Mayor Sue Heins and new Deputy Candy Bingham (elected last night):
Miranda Korzy $9,318
Rowie Dillon $9,162
Sunny Singh $8,418
Vincent De Luca: $14,009
Bob Giltinan $4,137
Ruth Robins $12,982
Mayor Sue Heins $13,024
Deputy Mayor Candy Bingham $10,650 (elected to position last night).
And for Jul 2023 - Jun 2024
Miranda Korzy $4,282
Michael Gencher $6,965
Karina Page $1,144 (who replaced Rory Amon and was active for only part of the term)
Vincent De Luca $15,104
Ruth Robins $9,710
Bianca Crvelin $7,544
Mayor Sue Heins $10,477
Candy Bingham $4,614
And for 2022-23:
Miranda Korzy $4,040
Michael Gencher $16,926
Karina Page $0 (was not a councillor earlier in the term)
Vincent De Luca $15,167
Ruth Robins $13,507
Bianca Crvelin $11,025
Mayor Sue Heins $13,266
Candy Bingham $9,565 (new Deputy).
These amounts compensate us for our spending on council work but also benefit the community in the case of training and conferences. Each councillor has different needs, interests, financial positions, and time flexibility. No-one should be singled out for their expenses.
You can see that the amounts for some of us bounce around - for example, I had never claimed petrol mileage until this year and I have just attended a tree management conference in Adelaide.
Reporting procedures for councillors are similar to those for professional positions - councillors keep logs for mileage, receipts for claims and must gain the CEO's permission before attending conferences or training, justifying how they will be a benefit to the community and their work as a councillor. So I believe public accountability is satisfied and the policy is sound.
The new expenses policy, with minor revisions, was passed by all councillors except Mr Singh, Mr De Luca, and Mr Giltinan.
Photo Credit: Mike Bird, St Albans, England, UK via Pexels
