MAYOR Karen Williams has been ordered to admit she made a mistake by not declaring a conflict of interest during a debate on a Mount Cotton chicken litter power plant.
Cr Williams apologised to council, saying it was an oversight on her part.
A council register states that a misconduct complaint against Cr Williams was received on May 5.
The allegation – which was substantiated – was that Cr Williams failed to declare a conflict of interest during a council meeting in February.
The register states the Local Government Remuneration and Discipline Tribunal ordered Cr Williams to make an admission of error.
During the February 21 meeting councillors voted unanimously to discontinue a planning court appeal process about the proposed Biomass Power Plant on Hillview Road, Mount Cotton.
Cr Williams said in council last month that Darwalla Milling – a subsidiary of the Biomass applicant Cleveland Power – was on her register of interest.
She received a donation from the company during the 2016 local government election campaign.
Cr Williams said she should have declared an interest as per the legislation but had not done so.
“This is an oversight on my part and while it was a late report referencing the withdrawal of an appeal, not a development application and was a subsidiary of the applicant on my register rather than the applicant itself, I really should have picked this up,” she said.
“At the end of the day the vote was unanimous and in line with the officer’s recommendations so it would not have altered the outcome but still it is my responsibility to declare an interest and in this case I didn’t so I apologise.”
Cleveland Power’s proposal to build a power plant fired by chicken litter was bitterly opposed by residents.
A previous council had agreed to the scheme about 10 years before an application last year to extend approvals.
The developer went to the Planning and Environment Court to appeal council’s decision to oppose the request.
Cr Williams said in February that court proceedings had not progressed far when the developer asked council to settle.
A council officer said the settlement meant the facility’s approval would lapse and could not continue unless a new application was made and approved.
