Auckland Council: Who got the $80,000 bonus and pay rise?
Auckland Mayor Phil Goff has been blindsided in the last week of the election campaign by news the unelected board of a council-controlled organisation has given its chief executive a bonus and pay rise worth $80,000.Goff was not impressed when told the salary and bonus package for Panuku chief executive Roger MacDonald had shot up from about $565,000 to about $645,000 in the past year. What's more, the salaries and benefits of the leadership team at Panuku have risen by 22 per cent in the past year, from $2.7 million to $3.3m. MacDonald is now the second highest paid CCO chief executive, behind Watercare chief executive Raveen Jaduram, whose salary is about $775,000. His salary package rose $50,000 this year. Jaduram is the top earner in the council family, earning more than council chief executive Stephen Town, whose salary rose by 1 per cent to $698,000 this year. MacDonald's 14 per cent salary and bonus increase follows calls by Goff for CCOs to show financial restraint on salaries at the top level. The mayor's calls were heeded by the board of Auckland Transport when it appointed new chief executive Shane Ellison in 2017 on a salary of $575,000 - a $100,000 cut from the salary of former chief executive David Warburton. Ateed chief executive Nick Hill has received a pay rise of about $10,000 to take his salary to about $425,000. Regional Facilities Auckland chief executive Chris Brooks received a 2.5 per cent pay rise this year, taking his salary to $480,975. Executive team staff costs at RFA rose by 30 per cent from $2.3m to $3.1m last year. All up, ratepayers paid $25m for the salaries of executives at Auckland Council and the five CCOs last year. Speaking after a MYOB mayoral debate, Goff carefully chose his words to criticise the Panuku decision.
"I think that any salary of that dimension is a handsome salary and you need to demonstrate you are delivering the results to achieve that salary. "They [Panuku board] need to exercise constraint on salaries at that level." In a statement, Panuku chairwoman Adrienne Young-Cooper said much of the extra money paid to MacDonald came from an incentive scheme and the rest from a 2 per cent pay rise. She said the Panuku board established a performance-based reward scheme for staff based on achievement of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Last year, the average payment was 10 per cent of salary with MacDonald receiving a full year's payment, she said.
MacDonald has been in the news recently over a private helicopter trip to the Bay of Islands for a day of sailing on a superyacht, which was picked up by the Serious Fraud Office in an investigation over the sale of council's Civic Administration Building. The SFO cleared Panuku of any wrongdoing over the sale but raised concerns about a possible conflict of interest involving MacDonald's trip - signed off by the former Panuku board chair Richard Aitkin - saying "its acceptance was ill-advised". Young-Cooper said performance-based payments are standard industry practice for senior executives. The board reviewed the scheme in June this year and agreed to maintain it for another year to remain competitive with the market, she said. Following a furore over rising salaries and a $405,000 severance payment in 2017, Town said in a letter to Goff that council salaries do not include variable pay components such as bonuses or incentives, which are common in the private sector and some public sector entities. Australian banks and their New Zealand offshoots are overhauling executive bonuses following a royal commission investigation into misconduct in Australia's financial industry. Goff has promised a review of CCOs if he wins a second term, saying one of the focal points will be responsiveness and accountability. "I share the frustrations of Aucklanders with some aspects of CCO performance and delivery, and concerns about whether they can be held accountable," Goff said at the launch of his CCO policy in May.
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Poll: 🤖 What skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
The Reserve Bank has shared some pretty blunt advice: there’s no such thing as a “safe” job anymore 🛟😑
Robots are stepping into repetitive roles in factories, plants and warehouses. AI is taking care of the admin tasks that once filled many mid-level office jobs.
We want to know: As the world evolves, what skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
Want to read more? The Press has you covered!
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52.1% Human-centred experience and communication
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15.1% Critical thinking
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30% Resilience and adaptability
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2.9% Other - I will share below!
The Gospel’s Relevance Today**
The Gospel, meaning ‘good news’, is the cornerstone of the message contained in the Bible’s first four books—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. While these records were written approximately 2,000 years ago, a natural question arises: why is this Gospel still relevant and vital for us today? This analysis seeks to explore what the Bible itself defines as the Gospel and to understand its enduring significance.
**Defining the Gospel: Core Biblical References**
The Gospel is not a vague concept; Scripture provides clear descriptions of its content and focus.
* **The Gospel of the Kingdom:** In Matthew 4:23, as Jesus begins his ministry, he is described as “preaching the gospel of the kingdom.” This immediately establishes that the good news is centrally about a kingdom—the Kingdom of God. His accompanying miracles served to validate the authority of this message.
* **The Gospel of Jesus Christ:** Mark 1:1 opens with, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Here, “Christ” is a title meaning ‘anointed one’. Thus, the good news is intrinsically about Jesus: his identity as the Anointed One and his unique status as the Son of God.
* **The Gospel of God’s Grace:** In Acts 20:24, the Apostle Paul speaks of his mission to “testify the gospel of the grace of God.” Grace signifies an undeserved gift. This reveals that the Gospel involves a gift from God, offered not because it is merited, but out of His benevolence.
* **The Gospel of Salvation and Peace:** Romans 1:16 declares the Gospel is “the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes,” breaking down barriers between Jew and Gentile (Greek). Furthermore, Romans 10:15 calls it the “gospel of peace,” pointing to a future state of peace brought about by this message.
* **The Gospel Summarised:** 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 provides a foundational summary. Paul reminds believers of the gospel he preached, “by which also you are saved.” He then states its core historical facts: “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” The Gospel is therefore rooted in the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus.
In synthesis, the Gospel is the good news of **salvation and future peace in the Kingdom of God**, made possible by **the grace of God** and **the obedient sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ**, and offered to all who believe.
**Old Testament Foundations: The Gospel Preached to Abraham**
A crucial question is whether the Gospel is confined to the New Testament. Scripture shows its foundations were laid much earlier. Galatians 3:8 states explicitly that “the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ‘In you all the nations shall be blessed.’”
This reference points back to Genesis 12:1-3, where God made profound promises to Abraham: to make him a great nation, to bless those who blessed him, and that “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” These promises—later reaffirmed to Isaac and Jacob—form the bedrock of the Gospel hope. The good news of salvation through Christ is the fulfillment of how **all nations** would be blessed through Abraham’s “seed.”
**The Gospel’s Personal Relevance: Good News for You Today**
How does this ancient message become “good news for you” today? The application is clearly outlined in Galatians 3.
* **Access through Faith in Christ:** Galatians 3:26 declares, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” The promise made to Abraham is now extended to anyone with faith in Jesus.
* **The Role of Baptism:** Verse 27 explains, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Baptism is the God-appointed act of faith that identifies a believer with Christ’s death and resurrection.
* **Unity and Inheritance:** Verses 28-29 reveal the glorious outcome: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Through the Gospel, all barriers are removed; believers become spiritual descendants of Abraham and heirs to the promises of the Kingdom.
This Gospel was once a mystery hidden in God’s purpose (Ephesians 3:3-9). Now, it has been revealed: the unsearchable riches of Christ, offering salvation to all who heed the call, believe the message, and are baptised into him.
**Conclusion: An Enduring and Open Invitation**
The Gospel is far more than a historical account; it is the living, powerful good news of God’s plan for salvation. It is rooted in promises to Abraham, accomplished through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and open to all people without distinction. It offers a tangible hope—the hope of resurrection, peace, and an inheritance in the coming Kingdom of God. This is why the Gospel remains profoundly relevant. It is an invitation to listen, believe, and stand firm in this hope, linking our lives today to the eternal purpose of God.
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