Councillor Fined For Misconduct

AWhitsunday Regional Councillor is required to make a public admission of guilt, pay a fine of $500, and attend training or counselling after engaging in “inappropriate conduct” relating to a Council employee.

Councillor Jan Clifford’s actions were scrutinised by an independent assessor over six months, with the findings presented for decision to Whitsunday Regional Councillors at last week’s Ordinary Council Meeting.

Three allegations of misconduct were brought to the table against Ms Clifford, the first two of which she was found guilty.

Councillor Clifford is required to publicly admit her guilt, be fined $500, and attend on-course training.

The initial, substantiated claim was that she had approached an unnamed employee and said words to the effect that “it appeared there was nepotism within the council with the appointment of Employee Y to Council position,” documents stated.

The second substantiated allegation stated that the Councillor attended a Council event last year, where the Councillor said to another attending employee about Employee Y, “I would rather speak to myself” and “I am still disgusted that [she] has got that position”.

A third allegation was removed from discussions for being “school-kid stuff” had alleged Councillor Clifford ignored Employee Y at several previous Council meeting morning teas.

Under current policy, Local Government Mayors are held responsible for handling investigations and reprimand of Councillors.

Another Councillor Conduct Investigation against Councillor Mike Brunker was to be addressed at the meeting but was tabled due to Councillor Brunker being absent.

Whitsunday Regional Council Mayor Julie Hall said that hiring independent assessors was not a regular procedure in these matters yet was deemed the “right course of action” considering the timing of the allegations.

“When these were brought to my desk, I had been in the job for less than a week,” Mayor Hall said.

Before discussions, Councillor Clifford spoke to her case: “I said to someone that it did not pass the pub test [the hiring of Employee Y], in broad terms,” she said.

“Am I sorry I said that? Maybe, maybe not. Because it does not in my opinion pass the pub test and this is nothing personal against the employee. A lot of people in this town would have applied for [that position].”

“The Bowen Big Mango temporarily looked like a job half done to draw a focus to the real issues that small businesses face when their invoices are paid late,” she said. “Small businesses are the backbone of communities in regional Australia, and we hope this stunt brings about a much-needed change in attitude towards paying invoices on time.”

While on the ground, Whitsunday Regional Council took the opportunity to install new legs and an internal refurbishment to make the Big Mango more durable. The real Big Mango has now been returned to the site and work will continue at the location for the next few weeks.

Manager of Bowen Tourism and Business, Leanne Abernethy said this big thing of ours would be ripe again in time for its 21st birthday in May and the makeover would ensure it would be an icon of Bowen’s landscape for many years to come. She also added that Bowen Tourism and Business had been paid by media agency, HelloSocial, on behalf of Xero, to take part in the campaign.

The inflatable half-mango, valued at $30k, has also been gifted to Bowen Tourism and Business for use at future events.

$10M Lindeman

One of Queensland’s largest private property development companies has withdrawn from its contracted $10 million purchase of Lindeman Island.

Shaun and Samantha Juniper, founders of The Juniper Group, have retracted their plans to purchase and develop the long-abandoned island off the shore of Airlie Beach.

Chinese cable TV operator White Horse Group had agreed to sell Lindeman – once the site of a luxurious Club Med resort –to the major private property developer in November of last year.

White Horse had purchased the island which sits 40 minutes from Airlie Beach a decade ago for $12.5 million and was seeking a $20 million return -- a figure which The Juniper Group had negotiated down to $10 million.

The Chinese company wished to divest itself of the island asset due to struggles with