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Local Government Act 2002

Governance and management of local authorities and community boards - Register of members’ pecuniary interests

54F: Contents of pecuniary interest return relating to member’s activities

You could also call this:

“What you need to tell us about your money and gifts as a council member”

You need to include specific information in your pecuniary interest return. This return is about your financial interests and activities.

If you travel to another country, you must list the country’s name, why you went there, and who paid for your travel and accommodation. You don’t need to include this if you or your family paid for everything.

You must describe any gifts you received that are worth more than $500, or if you got multiple gifts from the same person that add up to more than $500. You need to name who gave you these gifts if you know or can find out. You don’t have to include gifts from your family unless you think it’s important.

You also need to describe any payments you got for activities you’re involved in. This doesn’t include your regular salary or allowances, payments from interests you’ve already listed, or payments for activities you stopped doing before becoming a member.

Family members include your spouse, partner, parents, grandparents, children, stepchildren, foster children, grandchildren, and siblings.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS787709.

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Part 4 Governance and management of local authorities and community boards
Register of members’ pecuniary interests

54FContents of pecuniary interest return relating to member’s activities

  1. Every pecuniary interest return must also contain the following information:

  2. for each country (other than New Zealand) that the member travelled to,—
    1. the name of the country; and
      1. the purpose of travelling to the country; and
        1. the name of each person who contributed (in whole or in part) to the costs of the travel to and from the country; and
          1. the name of each person who contributed (in whole or in part) to the accommodation costs incurred by the member while in the country:
          2. a description of each gift (including hospitality and donations in cash or kind but excluding any donation made to cover expenses in an electoral campaign) received by the member and the name of the donor of each of those gifts (if known or reasonably ascertainable by the member) if—
            1. the gift has an estimated market value in New Zealand of more than $500; or
              1. the combined estimated market value in New Zealand of all gifts from the donor is more than $500:
              2. a 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
                  1. any payment the member received from an interest required to be disclosed under section 54E; and
                    1. any payment made in respect of any activity the member ceased to be involved in before becoming a member.

                    2. The information referred to in subsection (1)(a) does not have to be included in the pecuniary interest return if the travel costs and accommodation costs were paid in full by the following or any combination of the following:

                    3. the member:
                      1. a member of the member’s family.

                        1. The information referred to in subsection (1)(b) does not have to be included in the pecuniary interest return if the gift was from a member of the member’s family unless the member, taking the purpose of the register into account (see section 54B), considers the information should be included.

                        2. For the purposes of this section, member of the member’s family means the member’s spouse, partner, parent, grandparent, child, stepchild, foster child, grandchild, or sibling.

                        Notes
                        • Section 54F: inserted, on , by section 4 of the Local Government (Pecuniary Interests Register) Amendment Act 2022 (2022 No 24).