Section 28ZF of the Principal Act is amended as follows:

(a) by omitting subsection (1) and substituting the following subsections:

(1)  If there are a number of code of conduct complaints against the same councillor or different councillors of the same council and the complaints relate to the same contravention of the code of conduct, the Executive Officer may appoint a single initial assessor to do a single initial assessment of all of the complaints.

(1A)  If a single initial assessor is appointed under subsection (1) in respect of a number of code of conduct complaints, the initial assessor may make a recommendation to the Executive Officer, as part of the initial assessment of the complaints, that a joint investigation of the complaints be conducted by a single investigating panel.

(b) by omitting from subsection (2) "Code of Conduct Panel may only make a determination" and substituting "initial assessor for a code of conduct complaint may only make a recommendation under subsection (1A) " ;

(c) by omitting subsection (3) and substituting the following subsection:

(3)  If an initial assessor for a number of code of conduct complaints makes a recommendation to the Executive Officer under subsection (1A) for a joint investigation to be conducted into the complaints, the Executive Officer –

(a) may convene an investigating Panel under section 28L to conduct a joint investigation into all the complaints, if –

(i) the complaints are against less than half of the councillors of the relevant council; or

(ii) the complaints have been referred to the Director under paragraph (b) and the Director has not accepted the referral; and

(b) is to refer the complaints to the Director, if the complaints are against half, or more than half, of the councillors of the relevant council.

(d) by omitting from subsection (4) "Code of Conduct Panel" and substituting "Executive Officer" ;

(e) by omitting from subsection (4) "Panel" second occurring and substituting "Executive Officer" ;

(f) by omitting from subsection (5) "Code of Conduct Panel" and substituting "Executive Officer" .