Local council employees and councillors are subject to individual council codes of conduct and statutory obligations under the Local Government Act 2009 and Local Government Regulation 2012, and for Brisbane City Council the City of Brisbane Act 2010 and City of Brisbane Regulation 2012.
Councillors are also subject to the Code of Conduct for Councillors in Queensland.
Together, these set the legal and ethical framework for how councils operate, including how decisions are made, how public money and assets are managed, and how elected members and staff must behave.
They also set expectations around democratic governance, clear roles and responsibilities, transparency, conflict of interest management, financial accountability, risk management, community engagement and the proper use of council powers, all with the aim of ensuring councils act lawfully, ethically and in the public interest while maintaining public trust in local government.
Some strategies that can help prevent corruption in local government include:
- Having strong internal controls to mitigate against the corruption risks common to this sector along with clear policies, procedures, frameworks, and demarcation of roles and responsibilities which align to the Local Government Act 2009, and for Brisbane City Council the City of Brisbane Act 2010.
- Robust employee screening and onboarding practices, supported by initial and ongoing training and education on legal and integrity obligations and areas vulnerable to corruption — such as conflicts of interest, information management, procurement, planning and recruitment.
- Targeted training for roles with decision-making authority and delegations, including a focus on:
- ensuring conflicts of interest are declared and managed appropriately and that employees and elected officials are supported in understanding and applying policies and procedures
- the role of the code of conduct and governance frameworks, including fraud and corruption control
- making sure policies and procedures are supported by clear human resource and financial delegation frameworks and separation of duties, especially relating to recruitment, grants, finance and procurement
- providing regular communication and training about fraud and corruption risks so staff can identify and understand what they can do to help prevent corruption.
- Developing the capability of managers and supervisors to ensure effective supervision of staff to help deter and detect wrongdoing, such as the misuse of confidential information, council resources and work time.
- Strengthening information handling and recordkeeping practices, including policies and procedures for the management of confidential information, recordkeeping and engagement with the media.
- Conducting reviews, audits or inspections of high-risk activities, processes and decisions, including procurement and recruitment decisions, grant applications and expenditure, and audits of timesheets and allowance claims.
- Fostering transparency, accountability and integrity by championing positive ethical behaviour by ensuring that staff and elected officials know how to detect and report suspected wrongdoing and feel supported in doing so.
Advisories, case studies and factsheets:
- Corruption prevention advisories
- Prevention in focus: case studies
- Corruption priorities: How they guide our work
- Corruption trends and insights in local government - Factsheet (October 2025)
- Leading the way: Preventing corruption in local government - Factsheet (October 2025)
- Perceptions of corruption in local government - Factsheet (October 2025)
- Representing with integrity in local government - Resources for elected officials
- Council records: Advice for mayors, councillors, CEOs and government employees
- Minimising fuel fraud in the public sector
- Preventing Fraud: How to prevent fraud in the public sector
- Understanding Fraud: Identifying and reporting fraud in the public sector
- When conflicts of interest in procurement result in criminal convictions
- Role clarity in councils: understanding the respective roles of Mayor and CEO
- Conflicts of interest — are you managing yours appropriately?
- Meetings with lobbyists: Are you adequately minimising corruption risks?
- Assessing complaints of corrupt conduct: A guide for assessors and decision-makers
- How to classify matters of corrupt conduct pursuant to section 40 directions - A five-step guide for public officials and delegated decision makers
- Assessing allegations of corrupt conduct: A guide to recordkeeping under section 40A
- Guide to assessing allegations about misuse of confidential information
Corruption Perceptions Survey 2025:
Corruption Investigation Reports:
