KINGSTON councillors have signed off on an agreed code of conduct to police behaviour and conflicts of interest.
Councillors, except the absent Tamara Barth, met last Monday (13 February) at a special meeting, open to the public, to discuss the code.
All councillors across Victoria had to meet a state government mandated deadline of 22 February to sign a new code of conduct.
Councillors traditionally sign a code of conduct to abide by for a four-year council term within four months of election or re-election after council elections.
Council elections across the state were held in November last year.
Kingston councillors agreed to treat each other with respect during council chamber debates, in written communications and on social media.
They spent about 30 minutes at the special meeting debating whether to include a clause in the code of conduct requiring councillors to notify fellow councillors if a councillor intends to carry out property development in Kingston.
Cr Rosemary West put up an amendment to the proposed code stipulating councillors who have development plans “underway or on the drawing board” would have to flag a potential conflict of interest but this did not find support from several councillors.
“I think it is appropriate and I think the community would expect that,” Cr West said.
After much debate councillors decided councillors “with development plans lodged with council disclose such plans to councillors and as soon as conveniently possible to the community via listing on the council website.”
This means councillors will declare an interest in a development in Kingston when a planning application is lodged with council.
Several councils, including neighbouring Frankston Council, faced the threat of councillors being stood down last year after the Local Government Inspectorate found signatures on council codes of conduct had not been witnessed by council CEOs.
The state government intervened and saved councillors from the sack over administrative blunders.
Kingston Council had complied with the paperwork requirements.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 22 February 2017
This article was amended on 23 September 2016 to confirm councillors traditionally sign a code of conduct within four months of council elections, as mandated by the Local Government Act, and not three months as originally stated.
