Agency chiefs to lose 20pc

The chief executive and board at Christchurch’s economic development and promotions agency, ChristchurchNZ, have taken a 20 per cent pay cut for six months.

The Christchurch City Council-owned organisation has also hit pause on hiring new staff and stopped any contractor work.

Chair Dr Therese Arseneau said ChristchurchNZ’s revenue had declined due to the Covid-19 outbreak and it needed to reduce costs to ensure it was directing the most resources possible towards the city’s economic recovery.

‘‘It’s critical at this time for ChristchurchNZ to stimulate the economy and therefore to protect the jobs of Cantabrians.’’

In the 2018-19 financial year, the most recent information available, ChristchurchNZ paid

$210,000 in total to five directors

($70,000 to Arseneau and $35,000 each to four other directors), while chief executive Joanna Norris’ salary was in the $335,000 to $339,000 range.

Based on those figures, the cuts would save the company about $55,000.

Over the same period, the organisation had expenses of about $16.6 million, of which about $7m went to paying employees and contractors.

When asked whether other senior staff had discussed taking pay cuts, Norris said it was important ChristchurchNZ kept its people to do the important job of facilitating economic recovery.

She said the organisation had reduced staffing costs by bringing in a hiring freeze and stopping all contractor work.