New documents have revealed several of Victoria’s most highly paid public sector executives have been approved for top-up salary payments worth more than $200,000 a year.
Recent determinations from the Allan Labor Government’s have confirmed four additional public sector executives have had salaries approved above their respective pay bands;
- $465,000 per annum for the Suburban Rail Loop Authority Package Director – Tunnels and Civil -$63,983 above the relevant remuneration band.
- $428,831 per annum for the Suburban Rail Loop Authority Package Director – Line-wide and Operations -$27,814 above the relevant remuneration band.
- $471,544 per annum for the Treasury Corporation of Victoria Executive Director – Treasury -$70,527 above the relevant remuneration band.
- $576,000 per annum for the Melbourne and Olympic Parks Trust CEO – $42,569 above the relevant remuneration band.
These additional payments come on top of an up to 4.5 per cent increase for public sector executive salaries from 1 July 2024 and follow similar determinations for executives at WorkCover, the Major Transport Infrastructure Authority, Victorian Funds Management Corporation and Development Victoria over the past financial year.
Under Labor, Victoria’s public sector wages bill has grown from $18.5 billion in 2014-15 to $36.5 billion in 2024-25, as the number of public sector executives has more than tripled from 631 in June 2012, to 1,916 in June 2022 and Labor’s net debt heads to a record $187.8 billion by 2027-28.
Shadow Minister for Finance, Jess Wilson, said: “These latest top-up payments are further evidence Labor cannot manage money and Victorians are paying the price.
“Whilst some of Victoria’s most highly paid executives are handed salary top-ups, police, paramedics, firefighters and healthcare staff continue protracted pay deal fights with the Allan Labor Government.
“For a decade under Labor, the number of public sector executives has swelled as education, health, community safety and child protection outcomes continue to deteriorate.
“The Allan Labor Government must justify why time and again, taxpayers are paying over the odds for executives to run some of Victoria’s most blown out, delayed and poorly managed projects and agencies.”