ONE of NSW’s most inexperienced councils have given themselves a 22 per cent pay rise.

The majority of Queanbeyan-Palerang councillors, elected at the December poll, voted to bump up their pay packets on Wednesday (June 9) to the maximum allowed under the new council pay structure – which saw Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council (QPRC) designated in the Regional Centre category of council.

From July, councillors will now make $25,310 a year, a 22 per cent increase, while the mayor’s total fee will increase by 33 per cent to $87,820.

This comes as the council faces a $10 million deficit in its general fund, and Queanbeyan residents soon to see an increase in their rates.

The vote to increase wages carried seven to four, with one councillor questioning the logic of an increased spend on salaries.

Of the 11 councillors, eight were new to the regional council. First-time councillor Mareeta Grundy, who voted against the increase, said money would be better spent repairing roads and fixing footpaths.

“We are talking about almost $70,000 that could be spent on bus shelters, road signs, and grading unsealed roads that are in a total mess at the moment and there’s no money to fund extra grading,” Cr Grundy said.

“There’s also areas that don’t have footpaths where elderly people are walking on the side of the road, and they can’t use their walkers because there’s no footpath.”

Cr Grundy said it’s a conflict of interest for councillors to be voting on the remuneration for their duties.

“We should not be voting to give ourselves a pay rise…we shouldn’t be making decisions that directly benefit us,” Cr Grundy said.

With only three of the 11 councillors having previous council experience, Cr Grundy wonders whether new councillors deserve a pay increase so soon after being elected.

“I find it somewhat absurd that we not only give ourselves a pay rise, but a substantial pay rise to the top of what is possible within the legislation, when the majority of councillors have no experience,” Cr Grundy said.

“It’s like immediately rewarding someone who has come to the job without any experience.”

Mayor Kenrick Winchester, who voted in favour of the pay rise, told Wednesday’s council meeting that a pay increase would attract better candidates to council.

“People of younger generations are not putting their hands up for these roles because they can’t afford to do it,” Mayor Winchester said.

“People who are putting their hand up to be Mayor are mostly semi-retired or retired because professional working people can’t afford to take time off or quit their job to do this role for the amount that we pay.”