Queensland Numbered Acts

LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND OTHER LEGISLATION AMENDMENT ACT 2012 No. 33 - SECT 43

Section 171—

omit, insert—

'(1) A councillor may ask a council employee to provide advice to assist the councillor to carry out his or her responsibilities under this Act.

'(2) A councillor may, subject to any limits prescribed under a regulation, ask the chief executive officer to provide information that the council has access to.

Example of a limit prescribed under a regulation—

A regulation may prescribe the maximum cost to the council of providing information to a councillor.

'(3) Subsection (2) does not apply to information—

(a) that is a record of the BCC councillor conduct review panel; or

(b) if disclosure of the information to the councillor would be contrary to an order of a court or tribunal; or

(c) that would be privileged from production in a legal proceeding on the ground of legal professional privilege.

'(4) A request of a councillor under subsection (1) or (2) is of no effect if the request—

(a) relates to any ward other than the ward the councillor represents; and

(b) does not comply with the acceptable requests guidelines.

'(5) Subsection (4) does not apply to—

(a) the mayor; or

(b) the chairperson of the council if the request relates to the role of the chairperson; or

(c) the chairperson of a committee of the council if the request relates to the role of the chairperson.

'(6) In this section a council employee includes a person prescribed under a regulation.

'(7) The chief executive officer must make all reasonable endeavours to comply with a request under subsection (2).

Maximum penalty for subsection (7)—10 penalty units.'.