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 determining the remuneration of the independent statutory officers and guidance on the information that the Authority requires from Ministers and departments who are responsible for managing on behalf of their Ministers the processes for appointments and reappointments to independent statutory positions are set out in the following document:
The following paper explains, amongst other things, the employment status of independent statutory officers; how certain legislative provisions or employment conditions apply to those roles; and matters the Authority considers when setting formal remuneration determinations of these officers.
Employment status and remuneration of statutory officers [PDF, 189 KB]
See the statutory officers and others for whom the Remuneration Authority sets remuneration.