TasWater has defended the significant salary of outgoing chief executive Michael Brewster.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In the latest TasWater annual report, Mr Brewster's salary was listed at almost $600,000 a year, a figure that received swift criticism on social media when shared earlier this week in an article about his resignation.
The average annual household water bill in Tasmania is $1207. Across the 2019-20 financial year, Mr Brewster would make more than that in a single day.
She said the "exorbitant" pay packet was particularly distasteful in light of pushback around a new enterprise agreement for staff.
"The CEO of TasWater has received more than a 20 per cent increase in his pay packet over the last four years, whilst rejecting workers' reasonable demands for a 2.5 per cent pay rise," Ms Darmanin said.
"If TasWater can afford to pay the CEO more than half a million dollars a year, they can afford to pay their workers a fair wage."
A spokesperson for TasWater said the salary of the chief executive was determined by the TasWater Board, which is independent of the organisation.
They said the figure on the annual report is inclusive of statutory superannuation and a vehicle allowance.
"His salary is $497,030. The amount listed in the annual report includes accrued leave which is higher than usual because he has not taken regular leave during COVID," they said.
The salary is benchmarked against other State Government Business Enterprises and water utilities around Australia, and reviewed annually.
"We are certainly not dismissive of people's concerns and this is one of the reasons that we rely on an independent Board to ensure the CEO, along with all executives, is remunerated fairly and in line with other GBE and water utilities across the country.
"The business must pay market-based remuneration in order to attract candidates with the pre-requisite skills and experience to lead an organisation of the scale, complexity and importance of TasWater to the state."
Local Government are the major shareholders of TasWater, alongside the State Government.
Burnie City Council Mayor Steve Kons said it was up to the Board to determine the salary, and that the figure did not faze him.
"There are plenty of executives, plenty of enterprises that pay more than that," Cr Kons said. "This is a business that is managing several billions of dollars worth of assets... and that has a large number of employees."
"I think people get what their boards or directors of employers determine to give them. Some are more fortunate (than others)."
Meg Whitfield
Journalist at the Advocate Newspaper, Burnie, proudly covering Tasmania's North-West and West Coast. Got a tip?
Journalist at the Advocate Newspaper, Burnie, proudly covering Tasmania's North-West and West Coast. Got a tip?
