'Gingerbread ban' as councils cut Christmas gifts

A design company has had its piece of Christmas cheer rejected by a number of Queensland councils including Sunshine Coast.

NO CHEER: One design firm has been unable to hand over Christmas gifts this year.

A DESIGN company has had its piece of Christmas cheer rejected by a number of Queensland councils including Sunshine Coast.

An administration staffer from a Brisbane-based design firm, who asked not to be identified further, said she'd been told not to deliver her handmade gingerbread house to council staff this year.

She said she'd driven the gingerbread house up last year to give to Sunshine Coast Council staff to share as a thank you for the past year.

But this year she'd been told they couldn't accept it and similar messages had come from councils around the state and as far north as Townsville.

"A formal letter went out from one of the councils saying they couldn't accept anything," the staffer said.

She said she was initially angry that a simple gesture of thanks had been rejected, but could see the funny side of it and understood they were doing it for the right reasons.

"It's just something nice to say thanks," she said.

"It's just homemade, I don't even go and buy it.

"It's a pretty damn good one, let me tell you."

She estimated the gingerbread houses cost about $25 in ingredients and a took a couple of hours to make.

A Sunshine Coast Council spokesman said the organisation communicated with elected councillors and staff regularly to ensure they were aware of policy and legislative obligations.

"As part of council's good governance measures, any gifts offered to our councillors and/or staff - Christmas or otherwise - are dealt with under legislative and policy provisions for disclosure, reporting and decisions regarding acceptance or otherwise," the spokesman said.

In May Local Government Association of Queensland CEO Greg Hallam wrote about the organisation's new proposals titled Beyond Belcarra.

Among them, the association proposed any elected member who received a gift or donation over $500 in value had to leave council chambers and play no part in the debate.