Published on Friday, 29 November 2019 at 4:42:30 PM
The new gifts framework enclosed within the Local Government Legislation Amendment Act 2019 came into effect on 20 October 2019. The revised new gifts framework concentrated on providing transparency and accountability for local government bodies.
Under the sections 5.87A and 5.87B of the Act, council members and CEOs are required to disclose gifts that are received in their capacity as a council member or CEO. It is compulsory to declare these gifts if they are valued over $300 or are of a cumulative value of $300 received from the same donor in a 12-month period.
Contributions to travel costs will no longer be treated separately and will now require to be declared under the definition of gift.
Gifts are obliged to be disclosed within 10 days of receipt and an up to date gift register must be published on the local government website to facilitate real time reporting of gifts.
To help our CouncilConnect clients simplify the process of uploading information and disclosure requirements, we have updated our Gift Register module to allow a more seamless and simple reporting process. These changes include:
- Removal of Contributions to Travel register
- Updating the Gift Register to include travel contributions related fields
- Additional section for excluding gifts which are approved under the Attendance at Events Policy
- Refinement to the styling and layout on mobile devices
To find out more on the modules we offer to help improve the functionality of CouncilConnect websites, please get in touch by emailing mc@marketreations.com.au or call (08) 6168 1000 to enquire.
For further information on the new gifts framework under the act, head to the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries website.
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