Register of Pecuniary Interests
The Local Government Act 1993 provides for the management of pecuniary interests. It places specific obligations on councillors, council delegates, key council staff and other people involved in making decisions or giving advice on Council matters to act honestly and responsibly in carrying out their functions.
The Disclosure of Pecuniary Interest Returns is in compliance with Clause 4.21 of the Code of Conduct:
A councillor or designated person must make and lodge with the general manager a return disclosing the councillor or designated person’s interest within 3 months after;
- becoming a councillor or designated person, and
- at the 30 June each year, and
- the councillor or designated person becoming aware of an interest they are required to disclose that has not been previously disclosed in a return lodged under paragraphs a) or b).
Information contained in returns made and lodged under clause 4.21 of the Code of Conduct is to be made publicly available in accordance with the requirements of the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009, the Government Information (Public Access) Regulation 2009 and any guidelines issued by the Information Commissioner.
The Information and Privacy Commission Guideline 1 Returns of Interests prescribes that councillors and designated persons returns of interest must be made publicly available free of charge on council’s website.
Section 14 of the GIPA Act 2009 lists as a consideration against disclosure the fact that information may reveal someone’s personal information or would contravene an information privacy principle under the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (NSW).
An individual has a right to protect the privacy of their personal information. Given the amount of personal information that may be contained in the returns, special care will be taken to protect this right.
The type of matter which might be redacted from a return in these circumstances will vary depending on the public interest considerations applied. However, examples might include the signature or residential address of the individual making the return.
Releasing the information contained in the returns of councillors and designated persons in this manner facilitate the legitimate public interest in having access to the information, while respecting other considerations against disclosure including privacy.
2023-2024 Disclosures
2022-2023 Disclosures