Conflict of interest (3) An overview This guidance note is for use by board members of the over 100 major public entities and other statutory boards, committees, councils, panels, etc. in the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) portfolio, including large (category 1 and 2) committees of management of crown land reserves. Guidance notes and model policies for these major agencies can be downloaded from DELWP’s governance website, On Board (), in particular, see the support module. Guidance for small (category 3) committees of management is available from . 1. What is a conflict of interest? can be pecuniary (financial) or non-pecuniary or a mixture of both. A conflict of interest is a conflict between: For details see Appendix 1. 2. Conflict of interest policy your public duty to act in the best interests of the organisation; and Your board is expected to have a conflict of interest policy your private interests. that fulfils its legal obligations and complies with good What is a conflict of duty? public sector governance practice. To assist, DELWP offers a model policy. A conflict of duty (also known as a conflict of role) is a conflict of interest that can occur even if you do not have Your board’s policy should be consistent with DELWP’s any private interest at stake. It is a conflict between: model policy. your public duty to act in the best interests of the If your agency’s establishing Act has specific requirements organisation; and in relation to conflict of interest, the model policy can be your duty to another organisation (private or public). adapted to include these. It exists due to your role with the other organisation In addition to the standard model policy for major DELWP (e.g. as a committee member, employee, volunteer, or agencies, there is a model policy for waste and resource member). recovery groups (WRRGs). Both are available from the How broad is the definition? support module on On Board. A conflict of interest: exists whether it is real, potential, or perceived can be a private interest that is direct (held by you) or indirect (held by a relative or associate)
Conflict of interest (3) An overview This guidance note is for use by board members of the over 100 major public entities and other statutory boards, committees, councils, panels, etc. in the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) portfolio, including large (category 1 and 2) committees of management of crown land reserves. Guidance notes and model policies for these major agencies can be downloaded from DELWP’s governance website, On Board (), in particular, see the support module. Guidance for small (category 3) committees of management is available from . 1. What is a conflict of interest? A conflict of interest is a conflict between: your public duty to act in the best interests of the organisation; and your private interests. What is a conflict of duty? A conflict of duty (also known as a conflict of role) is a conflict of interest that can occur even if you do not have any private interest at stake. It is a conflict between: your public duty to act in the best interests of the organisation; and your duty to another organisation (private or public). It exists due to your role with the other organisation (e.g. as a committee member, employee, volunteer, or member). How broad is the definition? A conflict of interest: exists whether it is real, potential, or perceived can be a private interest that is direct (held by you) or indirect (held by a relative or associate) can be pecuniary (financial) or non-pecuniary or a mixture of both. For details see Appendix 1. 2. Conflict of interest policy Your board is expected to have a conflict of interest policy that fulfils its legal obligations and complies with good public sector governance practice. To assist, DELWP offers a model policy. Your board’s policy should be consistent with DELWP’s model policy. If your agency’s establishing Act has specific requirements in relation to conflict of interest, the model policy can be adapted to include these. In addition to the standard model policy for major DELWP agencies, there is a model policy for waste and resource recovery groups (WRRGs). Both are available from the support module on On Board.