Council & accountability · Scenic Rim Regional Council
Minutes record deputy mayor appointment for CEO complaints when usual officers cannot act
Scenic Rim’s unconfirmed minutes record a 4 - 2 vote to adopt an amended complaints policy and appoint Duncan McInnes as an interim nominated person under Queensland’s corruption law.
Reporting from draft minutes. Recorded wording may change when confirmed. How this article was prepared
Scenic Rim Regional Council’s unconfirmed minutes record the appointment of Deputy Mayor Duncan McInnes as an interim nominated person for complaints about the chief executive officer, through a motion carried 4 - 2 that also adopted an amended complaints policy.
Under the resolution recorded in the minutes, McInnes may perform the nominated person’s functions when the officers identified in the Complaints about the Public Official (Chief Executive Officer) Policy are unable to do so. The appointment is to continue until Council resolves to terminate it.
Councillors Kerri Cryer, Jennifer Sanders, Marshall Chalk and McInnes were recorded as voting for the motion. Amanda Hay and Stephen Moriarty were recorded as against it. The minutes say Hay and Moriarty abstained, with their abstentions recorded as votes against under section 254E(2)(c) of the Local Government Regulation 2012.
The minutes record that Mayor Tom Sharp declared a conflict of interest before the item, left the meeting at 2:41 pm and handed the chair to McInnes. Sharp returned at 2:55 pm after the resolution.
This report is based on Scenic Rim Regional Council’s unconfirmed minutes for its 28 October 2026 ordinary meeting. The minutes state they are to be confirmed on 25 November 2026.
What deserves a closer look
The supplied minutes record the operative motion and its carried result, while stating that the minutes remain subject to confirmation.
The voting list contains four votes for and two recorded against. The explanation that the two abstentions were counted against is consistent with the recorded 4–2 result.
The supplied minutes do not identify the officers referred to in the amended policy.
Questions for follow-up reporting
Which officers are identified in the amended policy as able to perform the nominated person's functions, and what circumstances would prevent them from doing so?
Will the final amended policy and Attachment 3 be published before the minutes are confirmed?
What happens next
Under the appointment recorded in the unconfirmed minutes, McInnes is to undertake the nominated person's functions when the officers identified in the policy are unable to do so, until Council resolves to terminate the appointment.
The minutes are marked for confirmation on 25 November 2026.
Check the record
These passages were matched to the source text. Read them in context in the original minutes.
The minutes record a carried motion to adopt the amended CEO complaints policy and appoint Deputy Mayor Duncan McInnes as interim nominated person under section 48A of the Crime and Corruption Act 2001.
Ordinary Meeting Minutes 28 October 2026 Page 51 Moved: Cr Marshall Chalk Seconded: Cr Kerri Cryer Motion That: 1. Council adopt the amended Council Policy – Complaints about the Public Official (Chief Executive Officer), as presented in Attachment 3 pursuant to section 48A of the Crime and Corruption Act 2001; and 2. Council appoint the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Duncan McInnes, as an interim nominated person under section 48A of the Crime and Corruption Act 2001, to undertake the functions of the nominated person where the officers identified in the Complaints about the Public Official (Chief Executive Officer) Policy are unable to perform those functions, until such time as Council resolves to terminate the appointment. For: Crs Kerri Cryer, Jennifer Sanders, Marshall Chalk and Duncan McInnes Against: Crs Amanda Hay and Stephen Moriarty Carried 4/2 Crs Amanda Hay and Stephen Moriarty chose to abstain from voting on this motion.
Item 11.14
Open original minutes ↗The appointment provision specifies that McInnes is to perform the nominated person's functions when the officers identified in the policy are unable to do so, until Council resolves to terminate the appointment.
and 2. Council appoint the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Duncan McInnes, as an interim nominated person under section 48A of the Crime and Corruption Act 2001, to undertake the functions of the nominated person where the officers identified in the Complaints about the Public Official (Chief Executive Officer) Policy are unable to perform those functions, until such time as Council resolves to terminate the appointment.
Item 11.14, motion paragraph 2
Open original minutes ↗The minutes record four councillors for the motion and two against, a carried result of 4–2, and explain that Amanda Hay and Stephen Moriarty abstained and their abstentions were recorded as votes against under section 254E(2)(c) of the Local Government Regulation 2012.
For: Crs Kerri Cryer, Jennifer Sanders, Marshall Chalk and Duncan McInnes Against: Crs Amanda Hay and Stephen Moriarty Carried 4/2 Crs Amanda Hay and Stephen Moriarty chose to abstain from voting on this motion. In accordance with section 254E(2)(c) of the Local Government Regulation 2012, the abstentions were recorded as votes against the motion. At 2:55 pm, Cr Tom Sharp returned to the meeting and resumed the chair.
Item 11.14, vote and abstention explanation
Open original minutes ↗Tom Sharp declared a conflict, left the meeting at 2:41 pm and handed the chair to the deputy mayor; Duncan McInnes took the chair at 2:41 pm.
Carried unanimously Ordinary Meeting Minutes 28 October 2026 Page 50 6.1 (continued) Declaration - Cr Tom Sharp re Item 11.14 LATE ITEM - Complaints about Public Official (Chief Executive Officer) Policy and Nominated Person appointment Cr Tom Sharp: "I have actually declared a conflict of interest and will now excuse myself from the meeting and I will hand it over to the Deputy Mayor to chair this item." At 2:41 pm, Cr Tom Sharp left the meeting. At 2:41 pm, Cr Duncan McInnes took the Chair. Additional Items 11.14 LATE ITEM - Complaints about Public Official (Chief Executive Officer) Policy and Nominated Person appointment Executive Officer: Director Corporate and Community Services Attachments: 1.
Continued declaration of interest and opening of Item 11.14
Open original minutes ↗The minutes record that Tom Sharp returned to the meeting and resumed the chair at 2:55 pm.
In accordance with section 254E(2)(c) of the Local Government Regulation 2012, the abstentions were recorded as votes against the motion. At 2:55 pm, Cr Tom Sharp returned to the meeting and resumed the chair.
Following Item 11.14
Open original minutes ↗The minutes state they are to be confirmed on 25 November 2026.
and a sad loss to Council." 12 Confidential Matters Nil The Ordinary Meeting ended at 2:57 pm. To be confirmed on 25 November 2026. Cr Tom Sharp Mayor
End of minutes
Open original minutes ↗Source record
Reporting from Scenic Rim Regional Council’s unconfirmed minutes for its Ordinary Meeting held on 28 October 2026.
Key facts from the minutes
- The unconfirmed minutes record Council adopting the amended Complaints about the Public Official (Chief Executive Officer) Policy.
- The recorded resolution appointed Deputy Mayor Duncan McInnes as interim nominated person under section 48A of the Crime and Corruption Act 2001, to act when the officers identified in the policy cannot perform those functions.
- The recorded motion carried 4 - 2, with two abstentions recorded as votes against.
- The minutes record that Mayor Tom Sharp declared a conflict and left the meeting for the item.
- The minutes were marked for confirmation on 25 November 2026.
Why it matters
- The appointment establishes an interim fallback arrangement for handling complaints about the CEO when the officers named in the policy cannot perform the nominated person’s functions. The supplied minutes do not identify those officers.