AFTER careful consideration, Bathurst councillors have decided they will accept increases to their remuneration and review the situation in 12 months.
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Councillors were the subject of immense public scrutiny last week when news emerged that they would receive pay increases of $4000 each, as well as a $16,000 increase for the mayor, which were the result of a reclassification of Bathurst Regional Council by the NSW Local Government Remuneration Tribunal.
Bathurst council is now classified as a regional strategic area instead of rural regional, and due to that the fees payable to councillors and the mayor are higher.
Mayor Bobby Bourke said that councillors gathered on Wednesday night for an informal meeting to discuss the situation and determine what they would do next.
They took into consideration what the new classification said about the role of this council.
"It was shown that we are one of the five fastest-growing regional cities in NSW. The government has recognised us for this, based on the promotions and the work that we do as a council, by putting us in this new regional category," Cr Bourke said.
"This is the first time this has happened to us on council in 22 years, to be recognised by the state government for what we do as a council.
"What else came out [of the meeting] is that the role of councillors and the mayor is very important to the community. It's not all about the wage, it's the role that we play."
Taking all that information into account, and noting that 24 other councils were also reclassified in the same way, councillors have accepted the determination of the independent tribunal and the pay increase that automatically comes with it.
"Councillors have discussed it and the new fee structure will remain in place for 2020-21 for the councillors and the mayor," Cr Bourke said.
"When it comes to the end of the financial year, we'll discuss it again."
While the reclassification benefits current councillors, Cr Bourke said it will also support council into the future by opening the door for more people who have a lot they could contribute to Bathurst.
Cr Bourke admits that being a councillor is a 24-seven job and requires a lot of time and energy, which makes it a difficult role for people who have other employment or family responsibilities.
But he said a higher level of remuneration could make it possible for them to commit to council when they couldn't previously.
This could help to diversify the councillor cohorts in the future to include more women and more young people, sections of the community that tend to be underrepresented on council.
"We want to try and attract new councillors to council," Cr Bourke said.
"If you're doing a part-time job and trying to be a councillor or a mayor, it's very difficult, the balance. We've had previous councillors and mayors struggle in their businesses."
The next election for positions on Bathurst council will occur in September 2021.
The election was due to be held this year, but all council elections in NSW were postponed due to COVID-19 health concerns.
