• Bayside News Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Read Our Newspapers Online
    • Read the Latest Western Port News
    • Read the Latest Mornington News
    • Read the Latest Southern Peninsula News
    • Read the Latest Frankston Times
    • Read the Latest Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Wednesday, August 10
Trending
  • Award for golf coaching program
  • House engulfed in flames
  • Early designs for sky rail to be ‘refined’
  • Ballroom dancing to help students with confidence
  • SES survivor warns of stroke danger
  • Season on the line for Seagulls
  • Pythons face an uphill battle, Redlegs stumble
  • Ketch blown ashore in Dromana
Facebook Twitter
Bayside News
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
Bayside News
Home»Latest News»New code for gifts
Latest News

New code for gifts

Neil WalkerBy Neil Walker2 July 2018No Comments3 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
Stock Photos. Frankston Civic Centre.
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

FRANKSTON councillors have agreed to a revised code of conduct as part of an annual review of behavioural guidelines.

Changes to the code include a voluntary lowering of the dollar value at which councillors must declare a gift and clarification about how councillors should conduct themselves online while making comments on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

Councillors met to discuss and vote on the conduct code changes alongside separate amendments to council meeting procedures at a public council special meeting held on Wednesday 13 June.

As part of the conduct code changes, councillors must now declare any accepted gift valued at more than $150, lower than the $500 mandated in the Local Government Act for all councillors across Victoria.

In February last year, Cr Kris Bolam failed to gain support from fellow councillors to lower the gifts declaration threshold from $500 to $50.

At the 13 June meeting, Cr Quinn McCormack said the $150 threshold brings council in line with most other public servants across the state.

While there was unanimous agreement on the amended code of conduct, some councillors were unhappy at “last minute” changes proposed by Cr Brian Cunial to the governance local law guidelines about meeting procedures.

At the special meeting, Cr Cunial said “minor” changes had been discussed at councillor briefing sessions.

The mayor Cr Colin Hampton, chairing the meeting, said councillors will have another opportunity to vote on local law changes about meetings after the policy is advertised for community feedback.

“At the end of the day, councillors need to look to compromise on things and work together as a group and unfortunately sometimes this group doesn’t do that,” Cr Hampton said.

The amended code of conduct also makes it clear that councillors who use social media must “endeavour to maintain an appropriate separation between their role and duties as a councillor and their life as a private citizen”.

Councillors making statements on social media from accounts identifying them as “a councillor of the council” must not imply they are authorised to speak on behalf of council as a whole, and must not “post, make comment or endorse (for example “like”) material that is offensive, obscene, defamatory, damaging, deceptive, threatening, harassing, bullying, discriminatory, hateful, racist, sexist, that infringes copyright or privacy, that constitutes a contempt of court, that breaches a court suppression order or is otherwise unlawful”.

Councillors must not “use or disclose confidential information obtained in their capacity as a councillor” online or “make any comment, post or endorse any material that might otherwise cause damage to the council’s reputation or bring it into disrepute”.

Councillors will sign the amended code of conduct at a public ordinary meeting on Monday 2 July.

First published in the Frankston Times – 2 July 2018

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
Neil Walker

Related Posts

Early designs for sky rail to be ‘refined’

10 August 2022

Boxing world mourns loss of a champion

8 August 2022

Councillor conflict escalates to conduct panel

8 August 2022

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Aug 10, 2022 - Wed
Chelsea, Australia
12°C
5 km/h, E
59%
767.32 mmHg
wed08/10 thu08/11 fri08/12 sat08/13 sun08/14
13/12°C
11/10°C
15/10°C
13/10°C
13/10°C
Peninsula Essence Magazine

Click Here to Read

25 July 2022
Peninsula Kids Magazine

Click Here to Read

26 May 2022
Council Watch

Kilkenny a minister

6 July 2022

Push to stop rate collection methods

14 June 2022
Interviews

Murder mystery on the water

25 July 2022
Property of the Week

14 Lynch Court, Mt Martha

26 July 2022
100 Years Ago this Week

Ketch blown ashore in Dromana

8 August 2022
Contact

Street: 63 Watt Road, Mornington, 3931
Mailing: PO Box 588, Hastings, 3915

Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
About

Established in 2006, Mornington Peninsula News Group (MPNG) is a locally owned and operated, independent media company.

MPNG publishes five weekly community newspapers: the Western Port News, Mornington News, Southern Peninsula News, Frankston Times and Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News.

MPNG also publishes two glossy magazines: Peninsula Essence and Peninsula Kids.

Facebook Twitter
© 2022 Mornington Peninsula News Group.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.