{"id":209997,"date":"2018-05-30T13:09:51","date_gmt":"2018-05-30T03:09:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=209997"},"modified":"2020-09-24T12:05:36","modified_gmt":"2020-09-24T02:05:36","slug":"council-watchdog-to-start-dec-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2018\/05\/30\/council-watchdog-to-start-dec-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Council Watchdog To Start Dec 1"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Local Government Minister
Stirling Hinchliffe<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

May 30, 2018<\/strong><\/p>\n

The new independent body planned by the State Government to tackle official misconduct in Local Government will also be able to impose penalties on vexatious complainants.<\/p>\n

Funding for the Office of the Independent Assessor will be provided in next month\u2019s State Budget and the Office is\u00a0expected to start work on December 1.<\/p>\n

Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said the Office of the Independent Assessor would work alongside the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC).<\/p>\n

\u201cAs with the CCC, the Office of the Independent Assessor will have the power to seize documents and compel people to attend interviews, with stiff penalties applying for non-compliance,” he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe CCC will continue to investigate corruption, while the Independent Assessor will focus on official misconduct.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the biggest weaknesses of the current system is the requirement to lodge complaints directly with a Council\u2019s CEO.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnderstandably, potential complainants can be reluctant to dob in Councillors given (the) CEO’s\u00a0close working relationship with Mayors and Councillors.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn independent complaints handling process will see this potential conflict largely removed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere complaints are not genuine, the Independent Assessor will have the power to dismiss vexatious complaints, and impose a hefty penalty.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cOverwhelmingly, councillors are honest and beyond reproach. It is just a shame their reputations are being tarnished by the alleged actions of a tiny minority.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur whole reform agenda is about ensuring Queensland has a system of Local Government that\u2019s robust, accountable and transparent, with very clear rules.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) has welcomed the creation of the new integrity body.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe LGAQ has been working towards an overhaul of Queensland\u2019s councillor complaints system for the past three years,\u2019 CEO Greg Hallam said.<\/p>\n

\u201cCouncil CEOs will no longer be in the position where they are referred to as Caesar judging Caesar.<\/p>\n

“The powers of the new Office of the Independent Assessor will be sufficient to weed out frivolous complaints which are still a large percentage of the complaints received. <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt will deliver the much-needed front end filtering of complaints which the current system lacks.<\/p>\n

\u201cCouncils are confident the Independent Assessor will be able to quickly dismiss vexatious and uncorroborated accusations.<\/p>\n

“Ultimately, for anyone who is making a genuine complaint they can expect to be dealt with independently, and in a faster and fairer manner than in the past.\u201d<\/p>\n

Related articles:<\/strong><\/p>\n