Hefty salary offered to get ‘best possible person’ for council top job

Tuesday, 22 April 2025

Matt Prosser’s salary jumped more than $100,000 when he left Dorset Council to take up the role of Wellington City Council's chief executive.

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Wellington City Council’s new chief executive Matt Prosser is being paid $550,000 a year.

It’s a big pay jump for Prosser, who was being paid $414,648 (£185,079) at his former role as Dorset Council chief executive in England.

Details obtained under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act reveal the council boss’ starting salary, as well as the amount the council paid for his relocation.

Prosser’s relocation included the council paying $24,103 for household shipping costs, $10,260 for premium economy flights to New Zealand and $3603 for his visa application.

His salary is slightly more than was paid to previous chief executive Barbara McKerrow before her departure earlier this year when she received $537,239. Her pay had increased over the years, rising from $454,130 in the 2021 financial year to $499,000 in 2022.

The council on Sunday confirmed it was paying for four weeks of short-term accommodation for Prosser until he found somewhere to live permanently.This was normal for a new chief executive from overseas and was expected to cost $7700, council spokesperson Richard MacLean said.

The pay packet means he will earn more than Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s $484,200 salary and and a lot more than Labour leader Chris Hipkins’ $298,000. Wellington mayor Tory Whanau earns $189,799 a year, the deputy mayor earns $131,366, those chairing committees earn $120,666, and councillors with no extra responsibilities earn $109,178.

But he will not be the capital’s most highly paid public servant. Public Service Commission data from 2024 showed chief executives at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Enterprise, Ministry for Primary Industries, Ministry of Social Development, Health NZ and Ministry of Education earned more than $600,000.

In January the BBC reported Prosser’s former role at Dorset Council was being advertised with a salary of up to $447,000 ( £200,000) plus benefits including $5600 (£ 2500) in an initial advance, $17,900 (£8000) in moving costs and help with two years of rental or mortgage payments.

Councillor and mayoral candidate Ray Chung said Prosser was doing a much bigger job in England for notably less pay. He believed the council could have offered a significantly lower salary and still attracted Prosser.

But a spokesperson for the mayor said in a statement that the compensation offered aligned with leadership roles in equivalent city councils in New Zealand.

“The remuneration package for the CE position reflects the need to attract top-tier talent, including those with international expertise.”

That ensured Wellington City Council had “the best possible person guiding our city”, the statement said.

The Post requested an interview with Prosser, who took up his role on March 31, but he declined.

The chief executive performance review committee has responsibility for monitoring of Prosser’s performance and undertakes the annual remuneration review.

Those on the committee are mayor Tory Whanau, deputy mayor Laurie Foon and councillors Rebecca Matthews, Teri O'Neill, and Tim Brown.

Brown, who is not standing for re-election in this year’s local body elections, said in a statement that remuneration was only one aspect of accepting a job. “Working with good people on interesting tasks” was another key element, he said.

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