MOREE Plains Shire Council general manager Natalia Cowley’s salary package has come under scrutiny, with council’s annual report outlining staff payments for the last financial year creating confusion among ratepayers.
Former Moree Plains Shire mayor Katrina Humphries says information about remuneration packages for council senior executive staff – previous and present during the past financial year – is not clearly noted in Council’s 2024-2025 Annual Report and Financial Statements.
She said consecutive gridlines with details about renumeration packages and pay-outs are not defined.
“Sadly, the grid of remuneration packages for senior executive staff is not clearly noted,” Mrs Humphries said.
“What is clear, is the ratepayers of the Moree Plains have paid – for one reason or another – in excess of $600,000 in the 2024-2025 financial year for GM services. This is totally unacceptable and the merry-go-round of GMs relieving and contracted, and the expenses that go with procurement of same, has to stop,” she said.
Integrity and transparency
Moree Plains Shire Council mayor Susannah Pearse said council is committed to acting with integrity and transparency, as well as following all relevant laws and guidelines.
“We understand there may be interest in the remuneration particulars of our senior staff, however we need to balance that interest with not breaching privacy,” Cr Pearse said.
“Council’s reporting requirements are set by the NSW Office of Local Government and our Annual Report and Financial Statements 2024-25 details all the information we can provide to the public regarding our senior staff’s remuneration.
“Providing financial information regarding our people beyond what is required would leave Council – and therefore ratepayers – open to potential legal proceedings. That is not in the best interests of our ratepayers.
“As council had two general managers during the most recent financial year, the disclosure of senior staff remuneration gave two lines for the position of ‘General Manager (Part Year)’ to assist in clarifying the payments were to two separate individuals,” Cr Pearse said.
Moree Plains Shire Council general manager Natalia Cowley (left) and mayor Susannah Pearse, who said council is committed to acting with integrity and transparency, as well as following all relevant laws and guidelines (Image Supplied).
Two general managers
Moree Plains Shire Council was served by two general managers during the 2024-2025 financial year.
Kelvin Tytherleigh left by mutual agreement on January 3, 2025 and the current general manager, Natalia Cowley, began about four weeks later.
Director of planning and development, Darryl Fitzgerald, acted as general manager during the interim.
During her first five months on the job to June 30, Ms Cowley was paid $136,672.97, or about $27,330 per month.
Based on figures in council’s annual report, Ms Cowley’s projected 12 months’ salary from her start date will come in at around $328,000 – several thousand dollars below the New South Wales average.
During the 2022-2023 financial year, the average annual salary for general managers in New South Wales was around $380,000.
The gridline outlining payments to two general managers during the 2024-2025 financial year that has confused Moree ratepayers.
Dual payments
Moree Plains Shire Council’s 2024-25 Annual Report and Financial Statements details payments to both general managers.
The first entry on the renumeration grid defines ‘part year’ payments of $172,644.75 (salary) and $298,187.19 for ‘bonus performance or other payments’ to the outgoing general manager.
The second gridline defines $136,672.97 as ‘part payment’ to the current general manager.
Both gridlines are titled General Manager (Part Year), which, Mrs Humphries says, has caused confusion.
“Allegedly, the $298,000 in the ‘bonus performance or other payments’ column is the payout for the previous GM – whatever, the dollars have been spent,” Mrs Humphries said.
“In my opinion, there should have been an explanatory note to this effect. If there is not clear and precise information, speculation will run wild, and in this case there was no indication shown of which GM was on which line,” she said.
Cr Pearse said remuneration for the previous general manager on the first gridline included salary, superannuation and fringe benefits tax, as well as a payment classed as ‘bonus performance, or other payments’, the details of which are confidential.
“Our second GM received remuneration in the form of salary and superannuation. There were no payments of bonuses, fringe benefits tax or non-cash benefits,” Cr Pearse said.
“As our new general manager has been with the council less than 12 months, no performance review has occurred as yet, hence there have been no reports on a council agenda to this effect.
“Council takes the custodianship of ratepayers’ money, and achieving value for that money, extremely seriously,” she said.
Former Moree Plains Shire mayor Katrina Humphries says information about remuneration packages for council senior executive staff is not clearly noted in Council’s 2024-2025 Annual Report and Financial Statements.
Refocus, reset and renewal
Ms Cowley clarified she is the only executive employed by council who has not taken up a council vehicle, does not use a council-funded fuel card and does not incur Fringe Benefit Tax costs to the organisation or ratepayers.
“This can be confirmed in the annual report,” Ms Cowley said.
She said her strategy for the first six months of this calendar year was anchored in “refocus, reset and renewal”.
“In that period we recalibrated community expectations by reducing the historically unrealistic $99m capital works program I inherited to a deliverable $34m – one of the largest capital programs, if not the largest, in council’s recent history,” Ms Cowley said.
She said council this year delivered the first unqualified audited financial statements in three years, submitted ahead of deadline and restored the financial sustainability of the Water Fund by reducing costs by $1.5m and implementing long-overdue fee adjustments.
Ms Cowley said council re-established strong procurement discipline, ensuring tenders, multiple quotes, and budget compliance are now standard practice.
Council this year also brought operational costs under control, approving only emergency overtime and managing contract expenditure within available budgets, she said.
“We prevented a potential $1.7m grant loss by supporting committees to take greater ownership of project delivery – resulting in the refresh of the Boomi Pool and the Boomi, Mungindi and Garah Halls,” Ms Cowley said.
Council reactivated the Max Centre, filling the majority of previously empty street-facing shops, she said.
“We also completed the resurfacing of the Ron Harbourne carpark and strengthened internal communication through monthly GM forums with depot and office staff, ensuring transparency around council decisions and providing space for questions and feedback,” Ms Cowley said.
Council also secured a proactive variation to expiring grant funding to purchase new Kirkby Park playground equipment following the tragic rocket fire.
“My strategy for the 2025–2026 year is focused on finishing the overdue Jobs and delivering tangible outcomes for the community,” Ms Cowley said.
Council priorities
Ms Cowley said council’s key priorities include completing and reopening the passive and active pools at MAAC – closed since around 2021 – and opening the Memorial Hall to the public, after nearly five years of restoration work.
She plans to finalise the staff restructure to lift service standards across the organisation and accelerate the roads’ re-sheeting and reseal program, ahead of next year’s harvest.
Also scheduled is the implementation of an online performance management system and transitioning staff to online timesheets.
Reopening the first stage of Kirkby Park is in the mix as well as plans to upgrade Ron Harbourne Oval facilities and commence the 50m pool project.
“None of this would have been possible without my committed and driven team, who are also fellow community members who deeply care about making the community proud, finding solutions and delivering to their highest abilities,” Ms Cowley said.
“Sometimes we don’t get it right – but we are certainly on the right path.
“A big thanks to our contractors and community partners who have been standing beside us and are part of the solution.
“And importantly, thank-you to the community for their support and understanding,” she said.
Moree Plains Shire Council’s 2024-2025 annual report can be found HERE.
Moree Plains Shire Council’s 2024-2025 financial statements can be found HERE.
NSW Office of Local Government’s Guidelines
Council’s management and oversight of the general manager is governed by the NSW Office of Local Government’s Guidelines for the Appointment and Oversight of General Managers.
Information can be found at Guidelines for the Appointment and Oversight of General Managers.
Regarding increases in remuneration, the guidelines state: “Under the approved standard contract, general managers are entitled to an annual increase in their salary package on each anniversary of the contract, equivalent to the latest percentage increase in remuneration for NSW public sector senior executive office holders as determined by the Statutory and Other Offices Remuneration Tribunal.
“Councils may also approve discretionary increases to the general manager’s total remuneration package under the approved standard contract as a reward for good performance.
“Discretionary increases may only be approved after a formal review of the general manager’s performance has been undertaken and the general manager’s performance has been assessed as being better than satisfactory.
“All discretionary increases in remuneration, together with the reasons for the increase, must be reported to an open meeting of the council.”
How does the remuneration table report nil non-cash benefits for a GM line, but also pay FBT (which is levied on non-cash benefits)