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COMMITTEE'S REPORT

The committee tabled its report, No. 26, 56th Parliament - Local Government Electoral (Implementing Stage 2 of Belcarra) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2019 on 21 June 2019. The Bill was passed with amendment on 16 October 2019.

ABOUT THE BILL

On 1 May 2019 the Hon Stirling Hinchliffe MP, Minister for Local Government, Minister for Racing and Minister for Multicultural Affairs introduced the Local Government Electoral (Implementing Stage 2 of Belcarra) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2019 (Bill) into the Legislative Assembly. The Bill was referred to the Economics and Governance Committee for consideration. 

The objectives of the Bill were to implement:

• the second stage of the government’s response to the recommendations of the Crime and Corruption Commission’s report Operation Belcarra: A blueprint for integrity and addressing corruption risk in local government (Belcarra Report), following the commencement of the Local Government Electoral (Implementing State 1 of Belcarra) and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2018
• the government’s response to certain recommendations of the report of the independent panel, A review of the conduct of the 2016 local government elections, the referendum and Toowoomba South by-election (Soorley Report), and
• other reforms to improve diversity, transparency, integrity and consistency in local government.

A number of the Bill's proposed reforms to the local government electoral system were consistent with amendments to the State electoral system proposed by the Electoral and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2019, which was also examined by the committee. The committee’s consideration of the Electoral and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2019 can be found here.

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