Across the state, excluding the Brisbane City Council local government area, 162 formal councillor conduct complaints were made, including 244 separate allegations.

Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said at Tuesday’s estimates hearing that the complaints, other than those about Brisbane City Council, were managed under the Local Government Act 2009.

In the 2017-18 financial year, 22 complaints were about alleged corrupt conduct and were referred to the Crime and Corruption Commission while a further 18 allegations of misconduct were referred to the Local Government Remuneration and Discipline Tribunal.

Sixty-one allegations were referred to the regional conduct review panels for investigative hearings and determination.

Mr Hinchliffe said four allegations made of the lesser offence category, of inappropriate conduct, were sustained by the department, including two about the inappropriate conduct of mayors.

“Along with formal complaints about councillors in Queensland, both my office and the department receive many hundreds of letters annually from ratepayers unhappy with either the conduct of their local council or a decision that it’s made,” he said.

Mr Hinchliffe said the government had conducted an independent review into the councillor complaints system and the bills that were passed in May — the Councillor Complaints Bill and the Belcarra Bill —, should be in full swing by the end of 2018.

Complaints about Ipswich City Council

Estimates hearings revealed there have been numerous complaints made about Ipswich City Council.

The department reviewed 15 complaints about the conduct of Ipswich councillors following the March 2016 election.

These complaints ranged from inappropriate conduct, including one finding of misconduct by the tribunal, and allegations of corrupt conduct.