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Councillors are now able to report their monetary interests later and with more leeway on donation reporting.
Things such as donations, gifts, investments, businesses or properties – anything where a councillor could benefit financially – can lead to conflicts of interest, when Auckland Council decisions impact upon those interests.
At the Governing Body meeting on November 24, members unanimously agreed to adjust the code of conduct in line with a recent amendment to the Local Government Act.
The Act now requires councils to maintain a register of interests for elected members. Previously there was no legal requirement to maintain a register, although Council still did so.
Council’s policy had been for elected members to report monetary interests two months following elections and with a $100 reporting minimum.
The amendment gives councillors 120 days after coming into office to report things like donations or shares and puts the minimum donation reporting at $500. Interests will now need to be declared by February next year and will be uploaded to council’s Elected Members declaration search.
