Register of Members’ Pecuniary Interests

 

A requirement of the Local Government Act 2002 (Part 4, Subpart 3 – Register of members’ pecuniary interests) directs local authorities to keep a register of pecuniary (financial) interests of elected members and make this register publicly available.

The purpose of this register is to record Councillor interests to provide transparency and to strengthen public trust and confidence in local government processes and decision-making.

Councillors are required to file a pecuniary interest return annually by the last day of February and update throughout the year as changes occur.

In compliance with this act, which came into effect on 20 November 2022, the Otago Regional Council provides a link to the summary register below. This register provides detailed information about each type of interest to be reported followed by the information disclosed by Councillors.

For more information see the Local Government Act 2002

 

Pecuniary interests key

  1. Name of each company of which the member is a director or hold or controls more than 10% of the voting rights and a description of the main business activities of each company (cl 54E(1)(a))
  2. Name of every other company or business entity in which the member has a pecuniary interest, other than as an investor in a managed investment scheme, and a description of the main business activities of each of those companies or business entities (cl 54E(1)(b))
  3. If the member is employed, the name of each employer of the member and a description of the main business activities of each of those employers (cl 54E(1)(c))
  4. The name of each trust in which the member has a beneficial interest (cl 54E(1)(d))
  5. The name of any organisation or trust and a description of the main activities of that organisation or trust if: (1) the member is a member of the organisation, a member of the governing body of the organisation, or a trustee of the trust, and (2) the organisation or trust receives funding from, or has applied to receive funding form, the local authority to which the member has been elected (cl 54E(1)(e))
  6. The title and description of any organisation in which the member holds an appointment by virtue of being an elected member (cl 54E(1)(f))
  7. The location of real property in which the member has a legal interest, other than an interest as a trustee, and a description of the nature of the real property (cl 54E(1)(g))
  8. The location of real property, and a description of the real property, held by a trust to which the following apply:  (1) the member is a beneficiary of the trust and (2) the member knows or ought reasonably know that the member is a beneficiary of the trust, and (3) it is not a unit trust whose name is disclosed under subclause (1)d, and (4) it is not a retirement scheme whose membership is open to the public (cl 54E(1)(h))
  9. Description including name of country, purpose of travel, name of person who contributed to travel costs and accommodation costs of any foreign travel paid for by anyone other than member’s spouse, partner, parent, grandparent, child, stepchild, foster child, grandchild or sibling (cl 54F(1)(a))
  10. Description of each gift (including hospitality and donations in cash or kind but excluding donations made to cover electoral campaign expenses) received by the member and the name of the donor of each of those gifts (if known or reasonably ascertainable) if the gift has an estimated market value in NZ of more than $500 or the combined estimated market value in New Zealand of all gifts from the donor is more than $500 (cl 54F(1)(b))
  11. Description of each payment received by the member for activities in which the member is involved other than: (1) the salary or allowances paid to that person under the Remuneration Authority Act 1977 or this Act; and (2) any payment the member received from an interest required to be disclosed under section 54E, and (3) any payment made in respect of any activity the member ceased to be involved in before becoming a member (cl 54F(1)(c))
  12. Other matters which the public may reasonably regard as likely to influence your actions during the course of your duties as a councillor (ORC Code of Conduct, Sec 9(e))

 

Councillor interests