Perth Nepotism and Employment Disclosure Bylaw

General Governance and Administration Western Australia 4 Minutes Read · published February 11, 2026

Perth, Western Australia public employers and councillors must manage nepotism risks and disclose relevant relationships during recruitment and contracting. This guide summarises how the City of Perth and relevant state instruments address declaration duties, complaint pathways and practical steps for applicants, officers and members of council to avoid conflicts in hiring and procurement.

Scope and applicable instruments

The City of Perth operates under local governance instruments and state law. Employment and procurement conflicts are commonly addressed in the councils governance policies and in Western Australias Local Government Act framework. For specific City policies, refer to the City of Perth governance and policy pages, and for statutory duties see the WA Local Government Act consolidated texts.^[1]^[2]

Key duties and common requirements

Candidates and staff are generally required to declare relationships with elected members or contractors during recruitment processes.
Hiring managers must record declarations and exclude conflicted staff from selection panels where required.
Procurement processes include conflict checks for suppliers and persons with close relationships to decision-makers.

Always follow the City of Perths published recruitment procedures when declaring relationships.

Penalties & Enforcement

City and state instruments provide compliance and enforcement paths for breaches of disclosure or conflict rules. Exact monetary penalties for nepotism or failure to disclose employment relationships are not consistently set out on municipal policy pages and may be governed by broader statutory offences or administrative remedies; where a specific penalty amount is not published on the cited page, this text notes that explicitly.

Monetary fines: not specified on the cited City of Perth policy pages; consult the underlying legislation or enforcement notice for amounts.^[1]
Escalation: first, repeat and continuing offence procedures are not specified in a single municipal schedule on the cited pages and may vary by instrument or referral to state authorities.^[2]
Non-monetary sanctions: possible administrative orders, requirements to rescind appointments or contracts, suspension of duties, or referral to tribunals or courts are used where misconduct is found.
Enforcer and complaint routes: By-law Enforcement, Governance or Human Resources teams within the City of Perth handle local complaints; serious matters may be referred to state oversight bodies. Use the Citys official complaint/contact page to start a report.^[1]
Appeals and review: appeal or review routes may include internal review, merit review to administrative tribunals, or judicial review; time limits for review are not specified on the cited municipal policy pages.
Defences and discretion: permitted exceptions, reasonable excuse defences or approved variances are handled per the Citys governance rules or delegated approvals.

If a penalty amount or time limit is not shown on the City page, contact the governance office for confirmation.

Applications & Forms

The City publishes recruitment and declaration forms on its policies or careers pages where applicable. If a specific declaration form or form number is required, it is listed on the City of Perth policy or careers pages; if none is published on those pages, state that no form is officially published and contact the Citys HR or governance unit for the form.^[1]

Practical action steps

At application: declare any close personal relationships in writing to the recruiting officer.
If appointed: complete the Citys staff declaration and update records promptly.
If you identify a conflict later: notify HR or Governance and recuse yourself from related decisions.
To report a suspected breach: submit a complaint via the City of Perths official complaints channel linked below.

Notify the City promptly if circumstances change that create a potential conflict of interest.

FAQ

Do I have to declare a family relationship when applying for a City of Perth job?: Yes. Declare close family or personal relationships as required by the Citys recruitment and governance policies; see the Citys policy pages for the current procedure.^[1]
What happens if a councillor favours a relative for employment?: Such conduct may be investigated under council governance and conflict-of-interest rules; possible outcomes include rescinding appointments or other administrative actions, depending on the findings and applicable instruments.^[2]
Are there criminal penalties for nepotism at the municipal level?: Criminal penalties are not typically detailed on municipal recruitment pages; whether conduct attracts criminal sanction depends on statutory offences and evidence and is not specified on the cited City pages.

How-To

Identify any close personal, familial or financial relationship that could influence a hiring or procurement decision.
Complete the Citys written declaration or notify the recruiting manager in writing before interview shortlisting.
If involved in selection, recuse yourself and document the recusal in the recruitment record.
If you suspect a breach, file a complaint via the Citys official complaint form or governance contact.
Keep copies of all declarations and correspondence for your personnel file and any review process.

Key Takeaways

Declare relationships early and in writing to avoid conflicts.
Follow City of Perth procedures and keep records of recusal and declarations.
Use the Citys official complaint channels for suspected breaches.