Roles and codes

Roles of councillors and mayor, code of conduct, pay scales and remuneration for elected representatives and councillors' expenses and facilities policy.

The role of councillors is to represent the community. They make decisions that benefit their divisions as well as the whole Sunshine Coast region, now and into the future. Councillors are responsible for:

  • providing leadership to the local government and the community
  • planning for the delivery of services
  • strategic planning for the future
  • developing policy
  • making local laws
  • complying with legislation.

To make decisions for the region, statutory meetings are held every month. Statutory council meetings are live streamed. See council's meetings webpage to access the live stream.

Council staff action the decisions made at council meetings.

Councillors are also responsible for portfolios or special areas of interest. See councillor portfolio system and protocols for details about each councillor's area of interest.

Mayor's role

As well as being a councillor, the mayor has extra duties including:

  • leading and managing council meetings, including managing the conduct of meeting participants
  • leading, managing and providing strategic direction
  • representing council at civic or ceremonial functions.

Councillors' role

All councillors have the following responsibilities:

  • ensuring the local government discharges its responsibilities under the Local Government Act 2009
  • ensuring the corporate plan is achieved
  • ensuring compliance with all applicable laws
  • providing high quality leadership to the local government and the community
  • participating in council meetings, policy development and decision-making
  • being accountable to the community for the local government's performance.

When performing a responsibility, councillors must serve the overall public interest of the whole region.

Councillors' code of conduct

Council is committed to being open, accountable and ethical. Councillors' conduct and performance must comply with the Local Government Act 2009.

The local government principles outlined in the act are:

  • transparent and effective processes
  • decision making in the public interest
  • sustainable development and management of assets and infrastructure
  • delivery of effective services
  • democratic representation
  • social inclusion and meaningful community engagement
  • ethical and legal behaviour of councillors and employees.

Council also adopted a code of conduct for councillors. The code sets out legal, ethical and behavioural duties. It also explains how to make a complaint about a breach of the code.

Councillors' expenses and facilities

Councillors’ expenses reimbursement and provision of facilities policy (PDF, 258.23KB).

Councillors need certain facilities to help them perform their role. Councillors' expense and resource entitlements are outlined in the above policy.