Pahlke caught with questions over his 'private email' use

DAVID Pahlke has moved to clarify his use of what was believed to be a private email address.

The Division 10 councillor has told residents to contact him via the email account; davidp@gil.com.au.

Some people took umbrage with it, declaring the use of the account should be prohibited.

Cr Pahlke said it was a council-owned account he had access to "for many years".

"It's a council email, I don't own it," Cr Pahlke told the QT.

"It has a diversion to the council address and all emails are recorded by council."

The @gil.com.au domain was registered by Ipswich City Council and used by councillors more than 20 years ago.

Despite the rollout of the DPahlke@Ipswich.qld.gov.au account, Cr Pahlke said he still asked residents to email both addresses.

"I got a number of complaints by people who said they sent me emails and I never got them," he said.

"People were spelling my name wrong.

"Every single councillor had this @gil.com.au address. I just kept it."

The council pays $55 annually for the account.

The email habits of councillors has been under the spotlight this week, with Paul Tully's use of the Ipswich@gmail.com and PaulGTully@gmail.com questioned.

While the CCC would not comment on specific cases, a spokesman said; "the CCC believes it is undesirable for any person in the public service to use private emails to conduct official business".

Cr Pahlke described his use of DavidP@gil.com.au as "completely innocent".

"It's controlled and all the emails are recorded by council," he said.

The Right to Information Process would apply to that email address to."

A spokesman for the council said it had "low-level oversight". "We can request password changes, " he said.

"We do not have direct access to content."

Cr Pahlke said the CCC "never discussed" the account.