2015-05-26 Planning & Organisation Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA     26 MAY 2015




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COUNCIL POLICY - CONTACT WITH LOBBYISTS
Pursuant to the advice of the Queensland State Archivist made under the Public Records Act
2002, records need to be created and retained of all contact by our Councillors and Council
Officers with all entities seeking to influence government decision making whether the lobbyist was
registered or not.
The Integrity Commissioner requires that Council maintains its own register of contact with
lobbyists, and be able to provide this to the Office of the Integrity Commissioner as required.
Council will maintain a Contact with Lobbyists Register, which is to be made available to the
Integrity Commissioner, Attachment 1 sets out the format of the Register of Contact with Lobbyists
Register as provided by the Integrity Commissioner.
Council's Organisational Guideline ‘Contact with Lobbyists’ will set out the specific procedures to
assist Councillors and Council Officers comply with their obligations.

Compliance with ethical standards
The Integrity Act 2009 seeks to ensure that contact between lobbyists, as defined by The Act, and
a Council representative is conducted in accordance with public expectations of transparency and
integrity, and in the public interest. In this regard, Councillors and Council Officers should
remember that they are bound by legislation, codes of conduct and Council policies to ensure that
all actions taken and decisions made are legal, ethical and impartial.
Such principles are reflected in s4 of the Loca! Government Act 2009 (‘the local government
principles") and s12 and 13 of that Act (s12 responsibilities of councillors; s13 Responsibilities of
local government employees).
Relevant codes of conduct and Council policies are:
Contact with Lobbyists (Organisational Guideline)
Development Assessment — Roles and Responsibilities of Councillors and Council Officers
Councillors Code of Conduct
Employee Code of Conduct
Procurement Policy

RELEVANT LEGISLATION
Integrity Act 2009
Public Sector Ethics Act 1994
Public Records Act 2002
Local Government Act 2009

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