The Star: July 14, 2016

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Thursday July 14 2016 7
News
Otakaro, DCL’s six-figure salaries
• By Shelley Robinson
TWO PUBLICLY-owned
companies spearheading the
city’s rebuild have average salary
rates in excess of $120,000.
Development Christchurch
Ltd, a city council controlled organisation,
could average about
$135,714, while Otakaro Ltd, a
Crown-owned company tasked
with delivering the anchor
projects, has an average salary of
$123,333.
Anglican Advocacy, a social
justice agency, said organisations
like the Government and city
council which pay large salaries
are “losing touch” with those
struggling in the
post-earthquake
city.
Manager Jolyon
White (left) said
they should lead
by example.
“Yes, those rates
are wrong, but
we as a society are accepting
of that. We are a society of too
much with an endless acceptance
of too little. I would have less
of a problem with people being
highly paid if they weren’t also
leaving people at the bottom end
with insufficient [amounts] to
raise their families on.”
Canterbury’s average income
is $30,100, and 35.8 per cent have
an annual income of $20,000
or less, according to the 2013
census.
But both DCL and Otakaro
said they had to pay market
rates in order to attract the right
people to the roles of rebuilding
the city.
Neither could provide salary
bands.
DCL chief executive Rob Hall
said: “To attract top candidates
who will make a real difference
for Christchurch and deliver
results in their areas of expertise,
DCL must offer competitive
market salaries.”
Mayor Lianne Dalziel said
the city council did not set the
salaries and equating the average
salary was mis-leading for
DCL because there were only 14
people.
“If anyone needs to take
CONSTRUCTION
PROJECTS: The
average salary at
Crown-owned
company
Development
Christchurch
Ltd is more
than $123,000.
The company
is tasked with
delivering anchor
projects across
the city.
the lead on this, it’s the state
sector, where remuneration of
government department officials
continues to drive expectations,”
she said.
Crs Raf Manji, Phil Clearwater
and Yani Johanson said they
would not comment on DCL
salaries.
But Cr Johanson said: “At a
general level, I personally believe
that council should be considering
the issue of, and reporting
on pay relativity, across the
organisation and encouraging its
companies to do the same.”
Otakaro’s staffing structure, released
to The Star, states it has 90
employees – much trimmer than
Cera’s 357 in December 2014.
It has six departments with
an emphasis on project management.
Otakaro’s average salary is
higher than that of Cera in 2015
which was $109,910.
If it was a Government department,
it would be second only to
the State Services Commission
on $125,917.
An Otakaro spokesman said a
comparison with other Government
departments would not be
“meaningful” as it was a Crown
company.
Minister supporting Greater
Christchurch Regeneration Gerry
Brownlee would not comment
as it was “a matter for Otakaro”.
But Labour MP Megan Woods
said the salaries were “high for
Christchurch” but the real test
was whether it was value for
money.
“He (Mr Brownlee) can’t hide
behind the fact it is a Crownowned
company to avoid answering
questions and to be held
accountable,” she said.
I believe the
elections are
important for all
of us – everyone’s
voice must be
included. Ko au,
ko koe, ko tātou.
It’s you, it’s me,
it’s all of us.
VOTE TO HAVE YOUR
SAY ON THE FUTURE OF
CHRISTCHURCH.
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