PEREGIAN BEACH ACTIVE STREET - STAGE 1 PROGRESS UPDATE AND NEXT STEPS (Deferred from the General Committee Meeting dated 16 March 2026)

Frank Wilkie68:17

Thank you Councillor Stockwell. Councillors wish to speak to the motion. Councillor Lorentson you wish to close. No, thank you. Put the motion to the vote. Those in favour? Councillor Phillips, Wilson, Wegener. Lorentson, Finzel, Wilkie. Those against? Councillor Stockwell. Thank you. That brings us to item 12. Very much. You Craig. Peregian Beach active street stage 1 progress update next steps. Councillors and community, pending further legal advice, I wish to upfront apologise unreservedly to my fellow Councillors, staff and the a mistake I have made regarding my conflict of interest declaration in this matter. I take my responsibilities under the Local Government Act seriously and I'm committed to full disclosure and aspiring to the highest standards in my role as a Councillor and Mayor. I acknowledge I have misunderstood the conflict of interest regulations as they apply to this project and will provide a revised COI declaration. As I live near the active street project site, I declared last year in internal briefings with staff and Councillors that I live in this neighbourhood. Affected by the works. It is not ordinary Council business. At this stage, the active street project was intended to progress on an operational level and not require a Councillor decision. As public consultation continued, it was decided to bring the matter to Council for a decision. The public report released last week included a new recommendation that works now also to include traffic calming directly in my street. I was also aware that my mother, who lives nearby, had attended public information sessions and made a comment during the public in February. My mother also donated an amount to my campaign above the prescribed threshold amount of $2,000. As this week was the first time the matter was to come to Council for a decision, I believed a prescribed conflict of interest declaration that openly covered the new and all other elements ought to be made. Subsequent legal advice received yesterday from King & Co advises that living nearby or having works in my street is a declarable conflict of interest and does not trigger a prescribed conflict of interest declaration. The King & Co advice is that my mother's campaign donation above the prescribed threshold amount of $2,000 makes the matter a prescribed conflict of interest. They advise this donation advised from my mother ought to have been declared in internal project briefings last year and would have excluded me from such briefings. Based on this legal advice, I've clearly made a mistake and apologise unreservedly to my colleagues and community for this error. I received this advice, I felt sick and I'm deeply sorry. I take my responsibilities seriously. Though I acted in good faith, I have misunderstood the conflict of interest regulations as they apply to this project. Given this latest advice I would like to declare a revised prescribed conflict of interest declaration as follows. In accordance with Chapter 5B of the Local Government Act 2009, I, Councillor Frank Wilkie, declare a prescribed conflict of interest for item 8.1, Peregian Beach Active Street stage 1. Update and next steps, being that my mother, who lives on a street adjoining the project, donated an amount above the prescribed amount, $2,000, to my prescribed. To my 2024 election campaign. For the record, I also declare that I live near the project site and works are now. Recommended to also occur in my street as a result of this. Prescribed conflict of interest. I will now leave the meeting room. While the matter is considered and voted upon.

Frank Wilkie37:41

Okay. Well, this is the external committees, not the meeting structure. Am I wrong? Yes. Meeting structure. I'm wrong. Had that's all right. To think carefully about it myself. I had to think carefully about it myself. 11.4.2, the Peregian Beach active street progress update and next steps was deferred to the Ordinary Meeting today. We'll deal with this at item 12.2 on the agenda.4 is the review of new. Good morning, Ordinary Meeting Councillors. Today. Good we'll morning. Deal with this at item 12.2.

So item D was I'm the agenda. To provide 11.4.3, the Peregian Beach active street progress and next with steps that and I think was deferred amendment to the Ordinary Meeting we'll deal with this at item brought 12.2 on the agenda. So legal advice has been sought regarding whether the withdrawn amendment was supported or permitted. So legal advice has been received confirming that the proposed amendment that was withdrawn at the last meeting is permitted under the relevant-- legislation and counts as Standing Orders. As a matter of good governance, minor amendments to the Standing Orders noting the rotational arrangement for the role of Chairperson will be considered as part of a future review of the Standing Orders. Regardless of any such future updates, Councillor can proceed with the proposed amendment today.