Councillors told to record conversations or face misconduct

Queensland councillors will have no excuses if they are caught not recording all conversations about council business as the state’s oversight authority cracks down on sloppy track records.

QUEENSLAND councillors have been warned they must record all council-related conversations on messaging apps or face misconduct charges.

The Office of the Independent Assessor (OIA) has released a guide outlining the rules and risks for the state’s councillors when using messaging apps to discuss council business.

Developed by the OIA in conjunction with Queensland State Archives, the guide explains councillors’ legal obligations when using apps in a work context.

Independent Assessor Kathleen Florian said any conversation on an app that relates to council business must be properly recorded.

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“Councillors should use the systems provided by council to discuss council matters, but if they stray into a conversation on an app the guide outlines how the conversation can be properly recorded,” Ms Florian said.

“And with some apps it is important to do this quickly, before the conversations disappear.

“Any communication about council matters is a public record and the same record-keeping laws apply to conversations on apps and social media as they do to formal meetings.

Councillors have been warned to record conversations on messaging apps. Picture: AAP/ MONIQUE HARMER

“It is about ensuring there are formal records to engender public confidence in council decisions and also helping councillors to defend themselves should a controversy arise down the track.”

Ms Florian said a failure to keep proper records could see councillors accused of misconduct, inappropriate conduct or offences related to the Public Records Act 2002.

She also cautioned them not to assume that no one would ever know if they had used an app inappropriately.

“Relationships can change and any party to a conversation can screenshot it and make it public, and those sorts of records can often be released at a time designed to cause maximum harm like the lead-up to an election.

“That sort of capacity for compromise also increases a councillor’s vulnerability to bribery or coercion.

“And it is not just individuals at risk, third-party disclosure of councillors’ use of apps for official business could damage the reputation of an entire council by creating the perception of corruption or a cover-up.”

Ms Florian said the new guide could prove valuable the cohort of newly elected councillors across the state, particularly those joining local government for the first time.

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