In a new push to bring greater integrity to the workings of Local Government, the Office of the Independent Assessor (OIA) is to receive extra funding to better investigate and access complaints against Councillors.
Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning, Steven Miles said the funding would support eight full-time equivalent positions at the OIA.
“It is crucial communities have confidence in the decision-making of their elected representatives and we are looking to ensure that decision-making isn’t hindered by any confusion around potential conflicts of interest,” Mr Miles said.
“The Government recently undertook a project which analysed the operations of the new Councillor Complaints Framework to make sure it is working smoothly and effectively.”
He said the analysis resulted in a number of recommendations, including streamlining interactions between the Department of Local Government, Racing and Multicultural Affairs, the OIA and the Councillor Conduct Tribunal.
“We will streamline the process of declaring conflicts of interest, clarifying when a Councillor can and cannot participate in decision-making, and how the conflict-of-interest framework, including the definition of ‘related party’, applies in small Council settings,” Mr Miles said.
“We’re also providing greater resourcing support for the OIA to help carry out its investigations into complaints against Councillors.”
Mr Miles said the Government would continue working with key stakeholders, such as the Local Government Association of Queensland, to look at ways of improving the system.
