Councillor Megan O’Hara Sullivan apologises to council after not declaring friendship with CEO of lobby group

A Toowoomba councillor has apologised to her colleagues and referred herself to the Office of the Independent Assessor after failing to declare a “conflict of interest” she had in the form of a friendship with a top lobbyist.

Cr Megan O'Hara Sullivan.

A Toowoomba councillor’s friendship with the CEO of a top economic lobby group has led to her apologising to her colleagues due to the undisclosed conflict of interest.

Cr Megan O’Hara Sullivan reported herself to the Office of the Independent Assessor, during the final council meeting of the year yesterday, after admitting she forgot to declare at a committee meeting last week while voting on a funding deed for Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enteprise, of which the CEO is Ali Davenport.

Cr O’Hara Sullivan said she had declared before a separate matter back in July that she was a friend of Ms Davenport, but failed to declare it last week.

“I realised my error and made aware the chief executive of my error and that I may have breached the conditions of the Local Government Act by failing to declare,” she said.

“I wish to formally apologise to council for my error in failing to declare.

“I have also referred this matter to the Office of the Independent Assessor.”

TSBE CEO Ali Davenport.

Mayor Paul Antonio thanked her for her honesty in declaring the error in judgment.

Cr O’Hara Sullivan subsequently left the room when the matter was ratified during the meeting.