Conflict of Interest and Gifts Register

Purpose. This register records the conflicts of interest declared by councillors and staff and the gifts, benefits and hospitality offered to them, as required by the Local Government Act 2020.

1.What must be recorded

Every general or material conflict of interest declared at a council meeting, delegated committee meeting or in the course of a staff member's duties must be entered in this register within two business days. Every gift, benefit or hospitality offered with a value above the threshold set in the gifts policy must be recorded whether it was accepted or refused.

2.How to make an entry

The declaring person must complete the declaration form and give it to the governance officer. The governance officer must enter the date, the person, the matter, the nature of the interest and the action taken, and file the form.

3.Managing the conflict

A councillor with a conflict must leave the meeting while the matter is considered. A staff member with a conflict must not take part in the decision and the manager must record who took over the matter.

4.Access

The councillor sections of the register are available for public inspection at the shire offices. Staff entries are available to the audit and risk committee and the Chief Executive Officer.

5.Review

The governance officer must review the register quarterly and report the number and type of entries to the audit and risk committee.

• Date of declaration
• Name and position
• Matter or gift
• Type of interest
• Action taken
• Entered by