The Local Government Act 2020 in sections 127 and 128 identifies two categories of conflicts of interest:

• General conflict — A relevant person has a general conflict of interest in a matter if an impartial, fair minded person would consider that the person’s private interest could result in them acting in a manner contrary to their public duty.

• Material conflict — A relevant person has a material conflict of interest in respect of a matter if an affected person would gain a benefit or suffer a loss depending on the outcome of the matter.

The East Gippsland Shire Council Governance Rules (Rule 19) requires the Council to maintain a conflict of interest register and make it available on the Council’s website.