The NSW government has made good on an election promise to freeze the salaries of senior public service executives, saying the savings will be directed towards frontline workers.

Premier Chris Minns announced on Tuesday that NSW Cabinet has approved legislation to freeze the pay of top level bureaucrats and state MPs in a move that Treasury estimates will free up around $130 million over the next two years.

Those covered by the temporary freeze include departmental secretaries, agency CEOs, executive office holders, commissioners and judicial officers.

“Our priority is rebuilding our essential services and investing in frontline workers,” the Premier said.

Previously, senior executives across state agencies, departments and state-owned corporations pocketed a collective $1 billion a year, the government says.

Special minister of state John Graham said NSW offered some of the best pay for senior public executives in Australia, and he was confident the state government would consider to attract top public service talent despite the wage freeze.

“This is about reinvesting in the public service, reinvesting in essential workers. What we’re doing is capping the top end of the service to reinvest in front-line workers.

Redirecting pay rises for top-level public servants to the frontlines would help stem the loss of essential workers from the state, he said.

The senior executive freeze will be enacted via the Statutory and Other Offices Remuneration Tribunal.

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