NOOSA’S OLYMPIC
PROSPECTS:
Apparently, official business travel is perfectly acceptable in Cairns, but becomes a conflict of interest when the destination is Los Angeles.
The Courier-Mail reports that Mayor Frank Wilkie has sought Council approval to join a Council of Mayors SEQ delegation to Los Angeles in February, at no direct cost to Noosa ratepayers.
The mission has a fairly straightforward objective: build economic partnerships, attract investment, explore international business opportunities and learn from a city preparing to host the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The delegation is expected to include around 90 business leaders from across South East Queensland. It was initially over subscribed with preference given to those businesses with a Mayor attending. Now the numbers have dropped off.
But here’s the interesting part.
The Mayor is not travelling for a private holiday. He is travelling in his official capacity as Noosa’s representative and as a board member of the Council of Mayors SEQ.
This is a work trip. It is regional economic development, business advocacy and official representation.
And that distinction matters when discussing conflicts of interest.
Under section 150EF of the Queensland Local Government Act, certain matters are specifically excluded from the personal interest provisions. These include representing Council in an official capacity, employment-related travel and accommodation, and nomination or appointment as a Council representative to a board, subject to the statutory conditions.
The fact that a Mayor travels overseas, or receives travel and accommodation as part of official duties, does not automatically create a conflict of interest.
A personal benefit and the incidental benefits of undertaking official work are not the same thing.
Perhaps we should revisit the Local Government Association of Queensland conference.
When Noosa councillors travel to Cairns for the LGAQ conference, they are undertaking official duties. They meet other councils, discuss policy, advocate for their communities, exchange ideas and pursue opportunities.
Nobody seriously suggests that attending a conference in Cairns is a private holiday simply because travel and accommodation are involved.
So why should the same principle suddenly become controversial when the destination is Los Angeles?
Is official business somehow less official when it involves a longer flight?
The Courier-Mail also reports that the Council of Mayors SEQ is a regional local government advocacy organisation representing 11 councils, largely funded through annual membership levies paid by member councils.
The Mayor is a board member.
This is not an invitation to take a selfie in front of the Hollywood sign. It is an organised regional business mission, with an opportunity for Noosa businesses from the whole region to connect with a much larger international market.
The delegation will explore opportunities arising from the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, major infrastructure projects, international investment, technology and the broader economic relationship between the two regions.
And let’s not forget the Olympics. Los Angeles hosts in 2028. Brisbane hosts in 2032. The opportunity to learn from the city preparing for the Games immediately before Brisbane is hardly an unreasonable proposition.
Indeed, it would be rather short-sighted for Noosa to ignore opportunities to prepare local businesses for the economic opportunities associated with the 2032 Olympics.
Council unanimously approved the Mayor’s attendance, with an amendment requiring a report back to Council outlining the benefits of the delegation to ratepayers. So perhaps the real question is not why the Mayor needs to travel to Los Angeles.
It is whether Noosa wants its businesses represented in an international delegation led by their Mayor - designed to open doors ahead of the biggest sporting event Queensland has ever hosted.
And perhaps those suggesting a conflict of interest should first distinguish between a personal interest and the performance of official duties.
A work trip is a work trip. Whether the destination is Cairns, Dubai or Los Angeles, the relevant question is what it delivers for the community - not how many kilometres the plane travels.
Perhaps the critics would prefer the Mayor stayed in Noosa, while the rest of South East Queensland gets on with doing business.