New gift register a win for transparency - Mayor

Douglas Shire

Shaun Hollis

Journalist

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Douglas Shire councillors and staff with be required to list gifts and other benefits on a new register.

A new political-donations register designed to make Douglas Shire councillors and staff more accountable to ratepayers has been hailed by the Mayor as a long-overdue win for transparency and integrity.

The freshly introduced Gifts, Benefits and Prizes Policy was drafted after council management realised no such document previously existed to compel councillors and council employees to declare certain goods and services given to them by outside parties that may have the potential to sway any decisions made.

The new document, which was tabled in yesterday’s monthly full council meeting, received instant praise from DSC Mayor Lisa Scomazzon.

“I’d like to welcome this new policy, and I believe it should have been introduced well before today,” Mayor Scomazzon told the meeting.

“This policy shows transparency, accountability and integrity to the community regarding gifts, benefits and prizes that councillors and employees may receive.

“By not having this policy in place there is a huge risk for potential corruption by councillors and employees, so my advice is to declare.

“This is really important.”

The new policy outlines what can happen when gifts are offered without accountability.

“The community expects councillors and council employees to discharge their responsibilities impartially and with integrity,” the policy states.

“The acceptance of gifts and/or benefits outside of a controlled and transparent process can result in negative perceptions and damage to (the) council’s reputation."

The policy has been developed to help limit the risk of “potential corrupt conduct” by councillors and staff around presents which could be “perceived to be given or accepted in return for favourable decision-making.”

“A councillor or council employee must not accept any gift or benefit, personal or otherwise, where there may be a real or potential conflict of interest or risk of compromise.”

Cr Damian Meadows told the meeting the new policy was important to remove any notion of “perceived benefits, or impropriety, by councillors”, joking that it could be the only way he might be able to have a win.

“I’m yet to win a chook raffle, so I’m grateful that something could come my way,” Cr Meadows said.

The policy does not apply to electoral gifts or donations defined in the 2011 Local Government Electoral Act, or prizes such as recognition-of-service awards. 

Any gift or benefit valued from $50-$500 will become the property of the council, with chief executive Scott Osman then deciding whether the gift can be forwarded on, once it has been registered.

Gifts of more than $500 must be recorded on a separate Individual Register of Interests according to existing local government regulations.

 

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