15 Aug 2025: traffic management, CE remuneration, gambling bill
Media: Local Democracy Reporter
Topic: Outsourcing of site traffic management
Enquiry
Follow-up questions to previous enquiry about this:
Do we have a date for when [staff] stopped doing the work in question and when outsourcing began?
Response
From a Council Spokesperson:
As discussed with you yesterday, and it is important to remember, there has been no union “action” – there have been discussions with the union, which are ongoing and for some work, we are outsourcing site traffic management. This began on July 1, 2025. While we are still in negotiations with the union, it would not be appropriate to make any further comment.
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Media: NZ Herald
Topic: CE remuneration
Enquiry
Reporter wanted to know if the figures cited for RLC in a Taxpayers' Union release about council CEs' remuneration (see below) were correct and if not, how they were wrong.
MEDIA RELEASE
CEO Rich List: Taxpayers’ Union Reveals Top-Earning Town Clerks
FRIDAY 15 AUGUST 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CEO Rich List: Taxpayers’ Union Reveals Top-Earning Town Clerks
The Taxpayers’ Union has released its annual Council Chief Executive Rich List, revealing the full renumeration received by Council CEOs over the 2023-24 financial year.
Sam Warren, Local Government Campaigns Manager for the Taxpayers’ Union, said:
“As households across New Zealand have been tightening their belts to pay for massive rates increases, council bosses are taking home an average five and a half times more than the average Kiwi salary.”
“Despite the recession, town clerks are living it up – the average council CEO pocketed a pay hike of 16 grand. While ratepayers are forking out 35 percent more on average than three years ago, there’s no shortage of cash in the CEO households.”
The 5 highest-paying councils are:
Christchurch City Council (Mary Richardson / Dawn Baxendale) - $1,027,696
Gore District Council (Deborah Lascelles / Lornae Straith / Stephen Parry) - $771,558
Auckland Council (Phil Wilson) - $735,935
Rotorua Lakes Council (Andrew Moraes / Gina Rangi / Geoff Williams) - $695,961
Tauranga City Council (Marty Grenfell) - $623,658
"Perhaps the CEO job title should be reverted to Town Clerk to get the pay packets back under control. Town Clerk is more honest. Seldom are they actual 'CEOs' from the private sector - most are just overpaid professional bureaucrats."
“The question needs to be asked, do these Chief Execs really need these massive, ratepayer-funded, pay packets? Very clearly, the spirit of ‘public service’ has left many town halls. While households are cutting back on essentials, these CEOs are cashing in.”
“It’s hypocrisy, plain and simple. Ratepayers are told there’s no money for basic services, but somehow there’s always room in the budget for yet another salary hike at the top.”
“It’s time to return to the spirit of public service, cap rates and force councils learn to live within ratepayers’ means.”
The full list can be found at RichList.nz.
Response
We provided the following information:
The figure is correct. The amount for the 2023/24 financial year includes the remuneration of the current CE Andrew Moraes (who started at Council in March 2024, as well as the remuneration of the previous CE Geof Williams, who was entitled to be paid out a balance of his contract when he left in September 2023. In addition to this, a salary was paid to the acting CE Gina Rangi before Mr Moraes started.
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Media: Local Democracy Reporter
Topic: Online Casino Gambling Bill submission
Enquiry
I am looking to follow up on something mentioned in last week’s Council Infrastructure & Environment Committee meeting.
It regarded either the Council, councillors or the Mayor making a submission against the proposed Online Casino Gambling Bill by the end of this week.
I was just wondering if that was indeed on the cards and in what capacity it is likely to be submitted, on behalf of the Council or will it be a personal submission from the Mayor or a Councillor with co-signs?
I can then take any questions to the appropriate person.
Response
The reporter was provided with a copy of the Mayor's submission: RLC submission on proposed Online Casino Gambling Bill - August 2025
