Council & accountability · Toowoomba Regional Council
Toowoomba CEO complaints policy held over until November
Council deferred proposed changes to policy 2.88, which covers complaints that may involve corrupt conduct by chief executive officer Sal Petroccitto.
Reporting from draft minutes. Recorded wording may change when confirmed. How this article was prepared
Toowoomba Regional Council has deferred proposed changes to its CEO complaints policy to its November 2026 ordinary meeting, according to the unconfirmed minutes.
The 27 October meeting minutes record that councillors were asked to adopt a revised version of policy 2.88, the standalone policy for complaints that involve or may involve corrupt conduct by the chief executive officer. Instead, Councillor Rebecca Vonhoff moved, and Councillor Bill Cahill seconded, a motion to defer the matter. It was carried.
The proposed revision would name the Manager, Governance and Legal Services as the nominated person responsible for notifying the Crime and Corruption Commission and dealing with a complaint under the Crime and Corruption Act 2001. Complaints could also be reported directly to the CCC or to a person to whom there is an obligation to report under an Act, excluding obligations imposed by sections 38 or 39(1) of the Crime and Corruption Act.
The report says the changes would remove the Coordinator, Governance Compliance as a nominated person and add wording based on the CCC’s policy template. It also says the CCC had reviewed the proposed policy and confirmed it complied with the Local Government Act 2009.
The supplied minutes passages record no reason for the deferral and do not give a date for the November meeting. Petroccitto temporarily left the meeting at 10.20am before the deferral motion and returned at 10.32am, after it was carried. The supplied passages do not record whether the proposed policy will return unchanged.
What deserves a closer look
The recorded outcome was a deferral rather than adoption, so the proposed amendments remain unresolved in the supplied minutes.
The supplied passages do not state why councillors deferred the item or whether the proposal will return unchanged.
The recorded motion defers the matter to November; it does not establish that the revised policy will be adopted then.
Questions for follow-up reporting
What date will the November 2026 ordinary meeting be held?
Will the revised policy return with further amendments?
What happens next
Under the motion recorded as carried, the deferred matter is due for consideration at the November 2026 ordinary meeting; whether the proposal will return unchanged is not established by the supplied passages.
Check the record
These passages were matched to the source text. Read them in context in the original minutes.
The record identifies the meeting as Toowoomba Regional Council's ordinary meeting held on 27 October 2026 and labels the minutes unconfirmed.
Toowoomba Regional Council Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting of Council held on Tuesday, 27 October 2026 in the Council Chambers, First Floor, City Hall, 541 Ruthven Street, Toowoomba Page 1 of 463 UNCONFIRMED Toowoomba Regional Council Ordinary Meeting of Council 27 October 2026 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.Opening of Meeting and Acknowledgement of Traditional Owners 2.Reception of Deputations or Delegations by Appointment 3.Attendance including Apologies, Leave of Absence, Granting Leaves of Absence and Declarations of Conflict of Interest 4.Confirmation of Minutes 5.Business Arising out of Minutes of Previous Meetings 6.Presentation of Petitions 7.Business
Document title, page 1
Open original minutes ↗The recommendation was for Council to adopt the revised 2.88 Complaint Management (Chief Executive Officer) Policy.
The Policy was reviewed in accordance with Council's Policy Framework (the Framework) resulting in proposed amendments being recommended for this Policy (Attachment 2). RECOMMENDATION That Council resolves to adopt the revised 2.88 Complaint Management (Chief Executive Officer) Policy (Attachment 1).
Item 12.1, recommendation
Open original minutes ↗The minutes record a motion moved by Councillor Rebecca Vonhoff and seconded by Councillor Bill Cahill to defer the matter to the November 2026 ordinary meeting, followed by a carried result. The minutes record that Sal Petroccitto temporarily left at 10.20am before the deferral motion and returned at 10.32am after it was carried.
The Chief Executive Officer, Sal Petroccitto temporarily retired from the Meeting at 10:20 AM. MOTION Moved by Councillor Rebecca Vonhoff, seconded by Councillor Bill Cahill That the matter be deferred to the Ordinary Meeting of Council of November 2026. CARRIED The Chief Executive Officer, Sal Petroccitto returned from temporary absence at 10:32 AM. Page 67 of 463 UNCONFIRMED Toowoomba Regional CouncilOrdinary Meeting of Council 27 October 2026 CORPORATE PLAN REFERENCE 4.7Knowing and managing our risks.
Item 12.1, motion and result
Open original minutes ↗The report says Council is legislatively required to have a separate, stand-alone policy addressing complaints that involve or may involve corrupt conduct by the chief executive officer.
Council seeks to ensure an efficient and effective response to operational and administrative matters through its complaint management process. It is a legislative requirement for Council to have a separate, stand-alone policy addressing the management of complaints that involve or may involve corrupt conduct by the Chief Executive Officer.
Item 12.1, executive summary
Open original minutes ↗The policy text nominates the Manager Governance and Legal Services as the nominated person, who is to notify the Crime and Corruption Commission of a complaint and deal with it under the CC Act.
4 Content 4.1 Nominated person Having regard to s. 48A(2) and (3) of the CC Act, this policy nominates the Manager Governance and Legal Services as the nominated person. The nominated person is to notify 3 the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) of the complaint and to deal with the complaint under the CC Act.
Attachment 1, section 4.1
Open original minutes ↗The policy text says a complaint that may involve an allegation of corrupt conduct by the CEO may be reported to the nominated person, directly to the CCC via its website form, or to a person to whom there is an obligation to report under an Act, excluding obligations imposed by sections 38 or 39(1) of the CC Act.
4 The provisions of the CC Act that regulate how the CEO as the public official of Council is to notify or deal with a complaint also apply to the nominated person. 5 4.2 Complaints about the Chief Executive Officer If a complaint may involve an allegation of corrupt conduct by the CEO, the complaint may be reported to: • the nominated person; or 1 See s. 48A(4) of the CC Act and the definitions in clause 3. 2 See s. 48A(4)of the CC Act. 3 Pursuant to s.38 of the CC act. 4 Under Chapter 2, Part 3, Division 4, Subdivision 2 of the Act. 5 See s. 48A(3) of the cc Act. Page 72 of 463 UNCONFIRMED UNDER REVIEW 2.88 Complaint Management ( Chief Executive Officer) Policy Document Number: 12420003v1A Page 2 of 5 PUBLIC PUBLIC • the CCC directly, via the form on the CCC's website; or • a person to whom there is an obligation to report under an Act 6 (this does not include an obligation imposed by ss. 38 or 39(1) of the CC Act). If there is uncertainty about whether or not a complaint should be reported, it is best to report it to the nominated person.
Attachment 1, section 4.2
Open original minutes ↗The report says the proposed changes would remove the Coordinator, Governance Compliance as a nominated person and amend section 4.2 to mirror the CCC policy template's reporting provisions.
The proposed amendments are: • Amendment to the nominated persons to notify the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) of the complaint and to deal with the complaint under the Crime and Corruption Act 2001. The current approved policy lists the Manager, Governance and Legal Services and Coordinator, Governance Compliance. The proposed amendments remove the Coordinator, Governance Compliance as a nominated person (section 4.1). • Additional changes to section 4.2 to mirror what is currently in the Crime and Corruption Commission policy template about where the complaint can be reported to. The proposed amendments, as a result of the review, have been incorporated into the revised Policy for adoption (Attachment 1).
Item 12.1, issues and responses
Open original minutes ↗The report says the CCC reviewed the proposed policy and confirmed it complied with the Local Government Act 2009.
The Policy was last reviewed/approved on 10 December 2024 (Attachment 3). CONSULTATION UNDERTAKEN The Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) reviewed the proposed policy (Attachment 5) and confirmed that it is compliant with the Local Government Act 2009 (the Act).
Item 12.1, consultation undertaken
Open original minutes ↗Source record
Reporting from the public, explicitly unconfirmed minutes of Toowoomba Regional Council’s ordinary meeting held on 27 October 2026.
Key facts from the minutes
- The unconfirmed minutes record that Council deferred the matter to its November 2026 ordinary meeting.
- The officer recommendation was to adopt revised policy 2.88, but council did not adopt it at the 27 October meeting.
- The proposed policy covers complaints involving or potentially involving corrupt conduct by the CEO.
- The proposed revised policy would name the Manager, Governance and Legal Services as the nominated person for notifying the CCC and dealing with complaints under the Crime and Corruption Act 2001.
- The CEO temporarily left the meeting before the deferral motion and returned after it was carried.
Why it matters
- The proposed policy sets out how complaints that may involve corrupt conduct by Toowoomba Regional Council’s chief executive officer would be reported and handled. Consideration has been deferred, so the proposed changes were not adopted at this meeting.