NEW laws are set to crack down on local councillors leaking information to the public or misusing their position.
The laws will target councillors who breach confidentiality or direct council staff improperly.
They will levy fines of up to $17,000 and $8600, respectively, against councillors who don’t declare conflicts of interest or lodge pecuniary interest returns.
The heaviest penalty, up to $86,000 or five in jail, will be levied against councillors who misuse their position.
The laws, to be extended to the Local Government Inspectorate, will allow the agency to investigate and prosecute allegations of serious misconduct by councillors.
Local Government Minister Jeanette Powell said the new laws reinforced that breaches of councillor conduct were serious. They complemented increased powers to be given to mayors to remove unruly councillors from council meetings.
“These new and stronger powers for the inspectorate send a clear message to current and future councillors that they must be beyond reproach when representing their communities,” Ms Powell said.
“Victorians should know that they can trust their elected local council representatives and trust that a rigorous framework is in place to deal appropriately with any breaches.”
— NOEL MURPHY
