Under the Local Government Act 1995 (the Act), council members and designated employees are required to disclose financial interests through Primary and Annual Returns.
Designated employees are:
- the Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
- certain employees with delegated powers or duties
- employees who are members of committees with council members
- employees nominated by the local government to be a designated employee.
Primary Returns must be lodged within three months of a person’s start date. Council members and designated employees, excluding the CEO, are required to submit their Primary Return to the CEO. The CEO is required to lodge their Primary Return with the Mayor or President of the local government.
Annual Returns must be submitted by 31 August each year. Council members and designated employees, other than the CEO, must lodge their Annual Return with the CEO. The CEO lodges their Annual Return with the Mayor or President.
Returns must include full and correct information in accordance with the Act.
For detailed guidelines on lodging returns, visit the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety website.
Reporting errors, omissions or failures to lodge
If a local government CEO becomes aware that a council member or designated employee (other than themselves) has failed to lodge a Primary or Annual Return or has submitted a return believed to contain an error or omission, the CEO must notify the Local Government Inspector.
Where the CEO is the person who has failed to lodge a return or is believed to have made an error or omission, the mayor or president must notify the Inspector.
A notification to the Inspector must:
- be submitted within 14 days of becoming aware of the issue
- be in the approved form
- if applicable, include a copy of the return with suspected errors or omissions.
To notify the Inspector of a failure to lodge returns, and errors and omissions in a lodged return, use the following approved form.
Please email the completed form and relevant attachments to: compliance@lginspector.wa.gov.au
You can also complete, print and post the form with relevant attachments enclosed to:
Local Government Inspector
Locked Bag 14
Cloisters Square Perth WA 6850
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