2017-02-07 Services & Organisation Committee Agenda

Page 32 of 141

ATTACHMENT 1

| ¢ WW     NOOSA                                                          Council Policy
mm mM      ceeeeie                                               Gifts and Benefits

Corporate Plan Reference:                  ‘Excellence as a Council’
Endorsed by Council:                       <Insert Date of Ordinary Meeting >
Policy Author:                             Governance Advisor

POLICY BACKGROUND
Councillors and Council employees hold positions of public trust and must carry out their duties
impartially and with integrity. The provision of gifts and benefits to Councillors and employees can
create perceptions of a conflict of interest and it is appropriate to question why they are offered and
whether they should be accepted.
The Public Sector Ethics Act 1994, identifies the following four ethics principles as fundamental to
good public administration:
e   Integrity and impartiality;
e   Promoting the public good;
e   Commitment to the system of government; and
e   Accountability and transparency.
This policy supports Noosa Council’s commitment to the above principles, and the following local
government principles:
e   Transparent and effective processes, and decision-making in the public interest;
e   Good governance of, and by, local government; and
e   Ethical and legal behaviour of Councillors and local government employees.
This policy aims to minimise the risk of Councillors and employees being exposed to an actual or
perceived conflict of interest associated with benefits or gifts offered in the course of their official
duties.

This policy does not apply to electoral gifts to Councillors as defined in the Local Government Act
2009. The requirements of this policy are in addition to the legislative obligations of Councillors and
Senior Executives with respect to individual register of interests as prescribed in Part 5 of Chapter
8 of the Local Government Regulation 2012.
COUNCIL POLICY
It is not appropriate for Councillors or employees to be offered or to accept gift or benefits that
affect, may be likely to affect or could reasonably be perceived to affect, the independent and
impartial performance of their official duties.
Councillors and employees must not ask for or encourage the giving of any form of gift or benefit in
connection with the performance of official duties.

1 As provided under section 4 the Local Government Act 2009

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