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Department of Premier and Cabinet

Councillor allowances

Councillors are entitled to receive allowances and reimbursement of reasonable expenses while performing their duties. Mayors and deputy mayors are entitled to additional allowances to reflect the higher level of duties they undertake in their official capacity. Councillors can choose to forego part or all of their allowances.

Tasmania’s 29 councils are varied, and allowances payable to councillors are set in a way to ensure good governance while balancing councils’ financial sustainability and the interests of the ratepayers.

There are seven council categories, based on the number of voters and revenue base, and allowances are set according to the council categorisation.

The base amount payable to elected members is specified in the Local Government (General) Regulations 2015. These amounts are reviewed annually by the Local Government Division and adjusted for inflation each November using an indexation process. More information about this process is found in the councillor allowances information sheet, along with a table of the current indexed allowances payable.

In 2018, the Tasmanian Industrial Commission conducted a Review of councillor allowances. More information about the review is found in its report, Tasmanian Industrial Commission Report into Councillor Allowances (April 2018)