Annual reports for the Otago, and Southland boards and the new Southern board formed in May show that Southland payouts were the highest, with a total of $83,439 spent on eight cases during its last 10 months.
The payments ranged from $1918 to $50,525.
In the previous full year, Southland recorded no such payments.
During the last 10 months of the Otago board, only two payments were made totalling $24,012. The highest of these was $19,219.
In the previous year, six payments had been made totalling $122,383.
During the first two months of the new Southern board, three payments were made totalling $43,797, thebulk of that figure made up by asingle payment of $41,000.
The reports show the highest remuneration for district health board members in the South last financial year went to Susie Johnstone, who was previously deputy chairwoman of both the Otago and Southland boards.
Mrs Johnstone, who also chaired the audit, finance and risk committee, received $54,000 in the year to the end of June.
The next highest payment was to Southern District Health Board chairman Errol Millar, of $51,000.
Mr Millar, who has now been replaced by Timaru man Joe Butterfield, chaired the Otago board for more than a year before being appointed the first Southern chairman earlier this year.
Figures in the annual reports show that the next highest fees payment of $40,000 went to previous Southland board chairman Paul Menzies, who later became the Southern board's deputy chairman.
Tahu Potiki, who served as a member on both the Otago and Southland boards and then the Southern board, was paid $41,000.
None of the other members of the health boards received fees of more than $27,000.
The lowest amount of $18,000 was received by Tim Ward, of Invercargill, who was appointed to the Southland board last year and continues to serve on the Southern board.
