Pay rises for the ACT government's top senior executives has not been keeping pace with those negotiated for lower-level staff under enterprise agreements, the Remuneration Tribunal says.
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The tribunal has begun its first major review of ACT SES pay packets, travel and other allowances since territory self-government in 1989, in parallel with its usual spring review of remuneration of the judiciary and part-time holders of public office.
The senior executive review is looking widely at everything from remuneration levels to the gender pay gap among executives, to the differing growth rates between non-executive territory public servants and the executive.
A discussion paper released on Friday shows the Tribunal did not want executive remuneration, allowances and other entitlements to be "considered a barrier to attracting and retaining quality professionals".
"In considering the executive remuneration, allowances and other entitlements as part of this review, the Tribunal is cognisant of the economic outlook for the ACT and Australia more generally," the paper reads.
"At this stage, the Tribunal does not envisage that the remuneration and entitlements for ACTPS executives will change significantly as a result of this Review."
The paper also showed that in the 10 years to 2016, ACTPS pay packets rose 36.5 per cent while tribunal-determined pay packets for the executives rose 30.75 per cent.
The tribunal voiced concerns about the increasing gap between senior executive and non-executive pay rises potentially becoming a disincentive for some public servants stepping up to the executive.
"This means that the senior officer grade A salary is 92.4% of the cash component of salary for the SES band 1.1," the paper reads.
"These arrangements or circumstances may act as a disincentive to officers at the senior officer grade A level being attracted to the SES especially given the loss of tenure."
The tribunal has also raised the prospect of creating a new formula that would help maintain a "reasonable and equitable difference" between such salaries, given the extra responsibilities in the SES and loss of some entitlements.
The paper also shows that some 92 per cent of ACT senior executives opt to take home a car allowance of between $19,500 and $21,500, instead of actually taking an executive vehicle itself.
It also shows the territory's public service car allowance "appears to be more generous" than other states with options of fleet cars, including South Australia, the Northern Territory and Western Australia, as well as Queensland, where no car is offered.
Of the 29 territory executives who do take a government-provided car, 28 per cent work for ACT Health, 24 per cent work for Justice and Community Safety and 17 per cent work for Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development.
The Tribunal has called for submissions to the spring review by midday Wednesday October 11, and for the senior executive pay review by midday Friday November 10.
