The ACT Remuneration Tribunal has backtracked on its decision to pay the board and chief of the Suburban Land Agency less than the City Renewal Authority and the positions in both agencies will now be paid the same.
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The tribunal had put in place a two-tier system for the new agencies, which replace the Land Development Agency on July 1.
But chairwoman Anne Cahill Lambert said the ACT parliament had since made significant changes to the responsibilities of the agency which will be in charge of developing new suburb. As a result, the pay rates would now be the same as for the agency in that will be in charge of developing Northbourne Avenue, West Basin and other special precincts.
The chief executives of both land agencies will be paid $312,420. The board chairpeople will be paid $70,000, the deputies $56,000 and the three other members $37,500.
All up, the boards and chief executives will cost $1.1 million a year.
The new land agencies are due to take over from the Land Development Agency in just three weeks, but the government has yet to announce who will head them and who will sit on the two boards. At the end of March, it advertised nationwide for board members.
Three months ago, David Dawes announced he would depart as chief executive of the Land Development Agency. He has been on annual leave in recent months and is not expected to return to work before his departure on July 3.
This week's budget also allocates $1 million a year for extra public service staff to oversee the new agencies and "ensure rigour and accountability in the decision-making processes".
Ms Cahill Lambert said the legislation passed on May 11 expanded the role of the suburban agency to create new duties for board members. The agency must also now meet targets on affordable housing, community housing and public housing, ensure its development is environmentally sustainable, and have an eye to greenhouse gas emissions targets.
