Queensland’s highest-paid public servants received remuneration packages of up to $903,000 in the 2025-26 financial year, with more than half a dozen earning more than Premier David Crisafulli.
The figures, drawn from more than 100 annual reports, show the scale of pay awarded to senior officials across the Queensland public sector, including non-monetary benefits.
Queensland public servants’ pay packages
David Rosengren, director-general of Queensland Health, received a total package worth $903,000. Damien Walker, Mr Crisafulli’s chosen head of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, was paid $838,000, while Under-Treasurer Paul Williams received $810,000.
John Sosso, who has since retired as director-general of the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, was paid $736,000.
Outside the senior departmental roles, Queensland Investment Corporation chief executive Kylie Rampa received $951,549.
Executives overseeing the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games also received substantial packages. Cindy Hook, chief executive of Brisbane 2032, was paid $1.033 million, while Simon Crooks, chief executive of the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority, received $882,000 after starting in August 2025.
Andrew Liveris, president of the organisation, received $177,804.
Some directors-general also recorded significant increases. Mark Cridland, head of the Department of Housing and Public Works, received $675,000, up from $614,000 the previous year.
Mr Crisafulli’s salary rose to more than $476,000 after a pay increase in the middle of 2025. That figure may not include all the additional benefits included in the total remuneration packages reported for directors-general.
Asked whether the highest salaries represented value for Queensland taxpayers, Mr Crisafulli said he was “really comfortable” with the system.
“Ultimately, those senior mandarins of all those departments are accountable to me, and then indirectly to the ministers for the job they do, and that’s the way [the Westminster system] has to work,” he said.
“I’m pleased with where the public service is working. I said to you from day one, my vision is to create the best public service in the state – in the country.
“That is my vision, and we’ve made good progress on that.”
