HOW NEW LAWS WILL CHANGE FACE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Prohibited donors to include property developers and any industry representative organisation whose members are property developers. The ban extends to businesses which make planning applications and their close associates, including related corporations, directors and their spouses. A donation includes direct or indirect gifts, or loans to a councillor or candidate. New penalties apply to anyone who tries to get around the ban. They face up to 10 years’ jail. Key changes include how councillors at a meeting declare a conflict of interest. Other councillors may decide a councillor should leave the meeting and colleagues will vote, forcing the councillor to stand outside the chamber. In terms of declaring donors, the councillor must give the name, nature of the relationship, value and date of the receipt of any gift and nature of the other person’s interest in the matter. A councillor must report their belief or suspicion that another councillor has an undeclared material personal interest or conflict of interest, and the facts that led to that finding. Failing to inform a council meeting of one’s own conflict of interest could lead to one year in jail. Taking retaliatory action against a councillor who reported you could result in a two-year jail term. New integrity offences carry a four-year jail term. If a councillor has a conflict of interest and attempts to influence another councillor, council employee or contractor, they face two years in jail.