2020-01-13 General Committee Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                           13 JANUARY 2020


c.     Political and support staff for councillors
               Advisors –
                 There is a growing trend, particularly in larger local governments, for the appointment
                 of ‘political staff’ predominately to assist mayors and to undertake a range of duties
                 including management of the mayor’s office, administrative support, media activities,
                 event management, policy development and in some cases political activities.18 As
                 such, the Bill will amend the LG Act to provide that local governments may contract
                 people as advisors to assist councillors in performing their responsibilities under the
                 respective Acts.
               Support staff –
                 It is current practice for many local governments to provide administrative support to
                 mayors and councillors which, in most cases, is provided by employees of the local
                 government. Currently the LG Act prohibits councillors giving direction to employees
                 of local government, which may be perceived as restricting the ability of councillors to
                 ask employees to undertake routine administrative functions such as typing,
                 organising meetings and copying documents. Similarly, mayors often work closely
                 with local government employees with expertise in media, communications and policy
                 development and some routine requests of the mayor to these employees may be
                 interpreted as giving directions contrary to the LG Act. As such, the Bill amends the
                 LG Act to provide that a councillor may give a direction to a local government
                 employee who provides administrative support to the councillor in accordance with
                 guidelines set by the CEO.
       Subsequently and under Chapter 5 of the Bill, the CEO may make guidelines about the
       provision of administrative support by local government employees to councillors. The
       guidelines must include:
           when a councillor may be provided with administrative support by a local government
             employee;
           how and when a councillor may give a direction to a local government employee in
             relation to the provision of administrative support; and
           a requirement that a councillor may give a direction to a local government employee
             only if the direction relates directly to administrative support to be provided by the
             local government employee under the guidelines.
       A direction purportedly given by a councillor to a local government employee is of no effect
       if the direction does not comply with the guidelines.

d.     Other proposed changes
               Councillor vacancies –
                 To increase consistency across local government, the Bill amends the LG Act for the
                 process of filling vacancies.
                 o     Mayors:
                        in first 36 months: by-election.
                        last 12 months: councillors appoint a mayor.
                 o     Councillors:
                        In first 36 months:
                           -       for single-councillor division: by-election.
                           -       for multi-member or undivided council: appoint next candidate.
                        last 12 months: appointment by council.
                        last 3 months: may leave vacant.


18 Explanatory Notes, Electoral and Other Legislation (Accountability, Integrity and Other Matters) Amendment Bill

2019 (Qld), 7.

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