A ban on accepting gifts valued at more than $50 and disclosing confidential information are among a range of proposed new Code of Conduct rules for NSW councils.
Councillors will also be obliged to declare if they are a property developer or a close associate of a property developer more regularly.
They will also be bound through their behaviour at meetings or use of social media, not to engage in bullying, discrimination or harassment.
Local Government Minister Gabrielle Upton said the updated Model Code of Conduct for Councils in NSW, which would apply to councillors and staff, was on public exhibition for comment for six weeks.
Ms Upton said most councillors “do the right thing”, but the government was “determined to weed out councillors misusing their public office”.
“Breaches of the new Code of Conduct by councillors can result in suspension and even disqualification from office and these new proposed requirements will put an even greater onus on councillors to behave appropriately or face the consequences if they don’t serve their ratepayers.”
Ms Upton said the new rules for councillors and staff include:
- Banning accepting gifts or benefits greater than $50 and introducing mandatory reporting of all gifts or benefits regardless of value.
- Disclosing records of meetings and other communications with applicants and objectors to planning applications.
- Banning access to council information when councillors have a pecuniary or a significant non-pecuniary conflict of interest.
- Requiring the declaration of new interests by councillors and staff more regularly in official returns of interest.
- Declaring being a property developer or a close associate of a property developer more regularly in official returns of interest.
- Publishing information in councillor and general manager official returns of interest on council’s website.
- Tough new standards against bullying, discrimination and harassment, work health and safety, on behaviour at meetings and use of social media.
- Clarifying that councillors must not use council information for personal purposes or undertake personal dealings with council during work time.