The Remuneration Authority sets remuneration for a range of independent statutory officers and boards where the holders of the office are required to exercise a high degree of independence.
There are two main pieces of legislation that identify these roles:
Remuneration Authority Act (Schedule 4) - NZ Legislation(external link)
Crown Entities Act 2004 (Schedule 1, part 3) - NZ Legislation(external link)
Benefits such as additional leave, and work related expenses are set by the organisations concerned, the value of these entitlements are taken into consideration when setting remuneration.
The remuneration set by the Authority for individual statutory officers is personal to them. Remuneration is set for every new appointment.
For members of independent statutory boards there is a standard fee which applies to all members.
Details of remuneration are confidential. Information on the remuneration of Chief Executives and other senior staff in the government departments and agencies, and officers of Parliament is included, in bands, on the Public Service Commission website.
Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission(external link)
Information on individuals appointed under the Crown Entities Act 2004 whose remuneration is set by the Authority is included, in bands, in the relevant organisations’ annual reports.
Crown Entities Act 2004 - NZ Legislation(external link)
The Authority considers and sets the remuneration for statutory officers, other individuals and boards annually, on the basis of the criteria in the Remuneration Authority Act, ss.18, 18A.
Remuneration Authority Act - NZ Legislation(external link)
In the annual reviews, the Authority considers information, relevant to the above criteria, from a range of sources.
Individual statutory officers and members of statutory boards whose remuneration is set by the Authority are invited to provide any information that they consider relevant to the review, such as any changes to the nature, scope, complexity, or challenges of the role.
Individuals are also asked to provide information on non-salary remuneration such as extra leave, superannuation, cars, and other benefits. These factors are valued and offset against the total remuneration in setting salary levels.
The Authority has no mandate to take account of performance in determining remuneration for these or any other individuals within its mandate.
Information on the role of the Authority in relation to these roles and guidance for Ministers and departments on how the Authority sets remuneration for these positions, including at the time of appointment, is set out in Cabinet Office Circular CO(11) 7 of 21 October 2011.
The Authority has also produced a paper that explains how the remuneration and terms of appointment of statutory officers are determined. It covers the role of the Remuneration Authority in that process, to help officials in administering or appointing departments who advise ministers on the appointment of persons to statutory roles, or who administer their terms of appointment.
Employment status and remuneration of statutory officers [PDF, 225 KB]
See the statutory officers and others for whom the Remuneration Authority sets remuneration.