THE state government will introduce an independent assessor to consider complaints against councillors, in a move to reform local government.
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The measure is one of 50 recommendations to be adopted, supported in part or in principle from the Councillor Complaints Review, held earlier this year.
It follows the start last week of electoral donation laws that require local government candidates to declare electoral donations within seven days.
Local Government Minister Mark Furner said the proposed changes were aimed at ensuring public confidence in the system.
“The Palaszczuk government proposes to give the independent assessor significant powers to assess and prosecute complaints,” Mr Furner said.
“Importantly under the model identified, the independent assessor will also be able to dismiss or prosecute frivolous, vexatious or out-of-time complaints.
“It would also be an offence for an accused councillor to attempt or take a reprisal against an employee or another councillor who makes a complaint of misconduct.”
Local Government Association of Queensland chief executive Greg Hallam said the LGAQ accepted the proposed changes and had argued for many of them.
Mr Furner said a code of conduct that set out acceptable standards of behaviour for elected councillors was also proposed. Corrupt conduct would still be referred to the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC).
Election investigation
The announcement comes after the appearance of Logan City Council (LCC) mayor Luke Smith before the CCC in June as part of hearings into Operation Belcarra.
The operation is an investigation into the conduct of local government candidates during the 2016 local government elections for Gold Coast City Council, Moreton Bay Regional Council, Ipswich City Council and LCC.
Councillor Smith received $377,000 from developers and other businesses that was channelled into a campaign fundraising company called Logan Futures – one of the largest sums of any candidate in Queensland’s local government elections.
- with Michael Burge