Local Government (Empowering Councils) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025
Bill Story
The journey of this bill through Parliament, including debate and recorded votes.
Introduced the bill to empower councils by allowing councillor involvement in senior executive appointments, reforming the conflicts-of-interest framework, reducing red tape, and providing safety protections for election candidates' addresses.
“Local governments know their communities best. Every day they directly touch the lives of Queenslanders through local services and infrastructure.”— 2025-11-20View Hansard
Referred to Local Government, Small Business and Customer Service Committee
6 members · Chair: James Lister
The Local Government, Small Business and Customer Service Committee examined the bill and recommended it be passed. The committee's review focused on proposals to give mayors and councillors greater involvement in appointing senior council staff through appointment panels, changes to councillor conduct frameworks, and amendments to the City of Brisbane Act. The department confirmed that while councils would be responsible for senior executive appointments, CEOs would retain responsibility for management and discipline of those employees.
Key findings (4)
- The bill proposes senior executive employees be appointed by a panel comprising the mayor, CEO, and either the relevant committee chairperson or deputy mayor
- The CEO will remain responsible for management, direction, and discipline of senior executive employees, including dismissal
- The City of Brisbane Act already provides for council-level appointment of executive employees, and the bill aligns the Local Government Act with this approach
- If the deputy mayor or committee chairperson is unable to participate in the appointment panel, the local government must appoint another councillor as a replacement
Recommendations (1)
- The committee recommends that the Bill be passed.
Plain English Summary
Overview
This bill reforms Queensland's local government laws to reduce red tape and empower councils. It simplifies conflict of interest rules, removes lower-level conduct complaints from the formal system, gives councils more control over senior staff appointments, and streamlines electoral processes.
Who it affects
Councillors and mayors gain clearer rules and reduced compliance burden. Local government staff benefit from stronger protections against councillor bullying and harassment. Indigenous councils receive formal clarity on rating powers.
Key changes
- Senior executive appointments now made by panels including mayor, CEO and deputy mayor or committee chair, not CEO alone
- Simpler conflict of interest framework replacing 'prescribed' and 'declarable' conflicts with 'material personal interest' and 'conflict of interest'
- Councillor conduct breaches removed from complaints system - only misconduct and corrupt conduct remain
- Bullying, sexual harassment and defying chairperson orders now classified as misconduct
- Returning councillors exempt from repeating mandatory training
- Councillors automatically vacate office when nominating for state parliament (no longer just leave without pay)
- Minister can approve disaster recovery decisions during election caretaker periods without individual council applications
- Sixteen Indigenous local governments formally exempted from levying rates, with pathway to future rating
- Election candidates can use PO boxes on campaign material for privacy and safety