Councillor social media accountability and public access
Principal petitioner: Adam Bound
Closing date: 26 December 2026
Petitions express the views of the Principal petitioner and may not represent the views of Council.
Logan City Council's current social media governance arrangements raise significant concerns about transparency, public accountability and residents' access to information communicated by elected representatives.
On 8 March 2026, I lodged an official ePetition requesting safeguards against councillors blocking constituents or hiding legitimate criticism on pages used for Council-related communication. The petition received 27 valid signatures and was formally referred by Council on 28 May 2026.
On 4 August 2026, Council responded that councillors independently own and manage their social media accounts and stated that Council was therefore "not able to develop, enforce or monitor a policy governing their day-to-day use."
However, private account ownership does not, by itself, resolve Council's responsibilities concerning public information, community engagement, Council-funded resources, recordkeeping and governance standards.
Council's previous Social Media Procedure, repealed in August 2023, distinguished between councillors' official and personal social media accounts. The current governance arrangements and safeguards warrant formal examination.
Furthermore, Queensland's legislative changes commencing 1 July 2026 removed the former conduct-breach disciplinary pathway, raising additional questions about how residents can seek accountability for conduct falling below the misconduct threshold.
Section 4 of the Local Government Act 2009 establishes principles including transparency, good governance and meaningful community engagement.
This petition seeks a broader review of Council's governance framework, rather than merely repeating the earlier request to regulate privately managed accounts.
Residents deserve clarity about what protections exist when Council business is communicated through social media, particularly when individuals are blocked from accessing those communications.
Action required in response to this issue:
We, the undersigned petitioners, request that Logan City Council formally review its social media governance framework and publicly consider the following seven actions:
1. FORMAL GOVERNANCE REVIEW: Prepare a public report examining Council's powers, responsibilities and available safeguards concerning independently managed councillor accounts used for Council-related communication.
2. FAIR MODERATION: Review Council-controlled social media moderation standards to protect lawful, constructive criticism and establish clear reasons, appropriate records and a process for reconsidering restrictions.
3. EQUAL ACCESS TO INFORMATION: Ensure Council announcements, decisions, consultations and essential public information remain accessible through official Council-controlled channels, regardless of whether a resident has been blocked by an individual councillor.
4. PUBLIC COMMUNICATION CHARTER: Develop and publicly consider a Councillor Public Communication Charter addressing fair moderation, transparency, legitimate criticism and review of blocking decisions, including voluntary adoption where binding requirements are unavailable.
5. PUBLIC RESOURCES AND RECORDS: Review existing controls concerning Council-funded staff assistance, public resources, official branding, Council-produced information and recordkeeping obligations associated with councillor-operated social media.
6. SUBSTANTIATE LEGAL LIMITATIONS: Where Council claims it cannot implement a safeguard, identify the specific legislative restriction, policy or decision relied upon, distinguish legal inability from policy choice, and identify lawful alternatives.
7. PUBLIC COUNCIL REPORT: Refer this petition for a formal report back to elected councillors under section 8.1(b)(ii) of Council's Meeting Code. We request public consideration within 90 days, with each action addressed individually, recommendations, implementation timeframes and reasons for any refusal.
This petition does not seek to prevent councillors from moderating threats, harassment, abuse or unlawful material, nor does it seek Council ownership of privately managed accounts.
Its purpose is to establish transparent, fair and accountable arrangements for communicating public Council business and protecting residents' access to official information.
We request a substantive public decision addressing each proposed action, rather than a general response based solely on who owns the social media account.
Sign the ePetition
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