Deputy Mayor gets warning | Rockhampton News | Local News in Rockhampton
Deputy Mayor gets warning
Cr Rose Swadling.
DEPUTY Mayor Rose Swadling has been issued with a written reprimand after breaching the councillors’ code of conduct.
Rockhampton Regional Council confirmed yesterday that Cr Swadling, a councillor for at least 16 years, had been disciplined after a complaint about her had been investigated by an independent conduct review panel.
The precise nature of how she stepped out of line, however, has not been disclosed.
It is understood the breach was not considered serious and councillors decided against issuing further penalties.
Cr Swadling, who was elected to her position as deputy to Mayor Brad Carter by her fellow councillors at the inception of the amalgamated authority, issued a two-sentence response yesterday.
She said she did not agree with the findings of the panel, but as a representative of the people felt compelled to accept the authority and abide by the decision.
Cr Carter described her as a hardworking, diligent and a committed community representative. He said the breach of the code of conduct was minor, but, in accordance with the principle of transparency and accountability, the findings of the inquiry would be published in an official minute of council business.
That resolution was sent to The Morning Bulletin yesterday afternoon.
The nature of the breach would not be disclosed, he said, and councillors were under instruction that to discuss the matter further would itself be a breach of confidence and would be treated severely because it had been dealt with under “closed business”.
As per Section 250 of the Local Government Act it is an offence to divulge information which is deemed confidential, the council says.
It is the first time since the new authority was formed in March 2008 that a councillor has been found to be in breach of the code which governs their conduct.
And he revealed that a second matter – believed to be another alleged breach of the code of conduct by a councillor – was still being dealt with by the council.
“From time to time there are issues that the full council is required to deal with in accordance with the law and in the interests of good corporate governance,” he said.
Councillors had been briefed on the findings of the independent panel – drawn from members of the community, who are not employees or associated with the council.
In addition to her role as the Mayor’s deputy, Cr Swadling is chair of the Community Development and Customer Service Committee.
She is also a leading light in a long list of community organisations.
Among others she is the deputy chair of the Local Disaster Management Group, chair of Rockhampton Crime Stoppers, chair of the Capricornia Correctional Community Advisory Group, founder and chair of Rockhampton Neighbourhood Watch and a board member of Capricornia Training Company.
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