Waimakariri mayor in line for post-election payrise
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
The Waimakariri mayor is in line for a payrise after October’s Local Government elections.
The Waimakariri District Council voted to accept the revised elected members salaries and expenses, which have been set by the Remuneration Authority, at a council meeting on Tuesday.
It means the mayor’s annual salary has increased by nearly $2000 from $137,500 to $139,425 from July 1.
A further increase of more than $7000, to $146,838 will kick in after the elections.
‘‘This is a matter the council doesn’t really have a choice on as it’s set by the Remuneration Authority,’’ mayor Dan Gordon said in support of the motion.
The mayor’s salary and payments for community board members are set by the Remuneration Authority, while the deputy mayor’s and councillors’ salaries are paid from a remuneration pool.
The remuneration pool has been set at $555,247 from October 2022 to July 2023.
The deputy mayor will receive a small increase from $58,994 to $59,820, while after the election the deputy mayor’s salary is expected to increase by nearly $10,000.
Councillors are expected to receive an increase of around $5000, with a post-election salary of $53,986.
Community board chairpersons and members are also set for a small payrise.
Fees for serving on a hearings panel have also increased for the first time since 2011, with the chairperson’s fee increasing from $100 to $116 per hour and members from $80 to $93 per hour.
Vehicle mileage allowances have also increased 4 cents a kilometre, from 79c to 83c a kilometre, in line with Inland Revenue recommendations.
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
Poll: Canterbury is thriving on paper... but are you seeing evidence of Canterbury's improving economy?
As reported in the Press, Reserve Bank Governor Anna Breman recently gave a shout-out to our region, calling Canterbury a "stand-out" for how we recover from tough times. With tech firms growing and exporters investing, the business side of things is looking bright!
👉 But we know that "business growth" doesn't always mean the weekly shop gets any cheaper. While the city expands, many families feel like they’re just trying to keep their heads above water.
We want to know: With the business buzz of 2026, do you feel like things are finally looking up for your household, or does it still feel like a climb?
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0% Yes
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0% No
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100% In some areas ...
🧩😏 Riddle me this, Neighbours…
I am an odd number. Take away a letter and I become even. What number am I?
Do you think you know the answer?
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