Councils are development regulators, but they also can be the developer, landowner or hold a commercial interest in the land they regulate. Where councils have this dual role, an inherent conflict can arise between their interests in the development and their duty as regulator.
Identifying these conflicts of interest early and finding ways to address them is crucial to good governance and allows councils to strengthen their relationship with communities and build and enhance trust.
The Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Conflict of Interest) Regulation 2022 was introduced in March 2023 and requires Council to develop a Policy for the management of Council-related development applications.
A draft Policy has been developed and was endorsed by Council at last night’s meeting and will now be placed on public exhibition for 28 days. If no comments are received, it will be adopted as one of Council’s policies. Any submissions received will be considered and reported to Council for final adoption of the policy.
