Circulars

What’s new or changing

• The recent amendments to the Local Government Act 1993 (the Act) provide for a model code of meeting practice (model meeting code) to be prescribed by regulation.
• Work on developing the model meeting code has now commenced.  The code will contain both mandatory and non-mandatory provisions.  Once the model meeting code is finalised, and prescribed by regulation, councils will be required to adopt a code of meeting practice that incorporates its mandatory provisions. Councils’ codes of meeting practice must not contain provisions that are inconsistent with the mandatory provisions of the model meeting code.
• It is anticipated that the mandatory provisions of the model meeting code will incorporate the meeting rules currently prescribed under the Local Government (General) Regulation 2005 (the Regulation).
• Councils’ adopted codes of meeting practice may also incorporate the
  non-mandatory provisions of the model meeting code and any other provisions. It is anticipated that the non-mandatory provisions of the model meeting code will contain better practice meeting rules.

What this will mean for your council

• The Office of Local Government has commenced the process of developing a model meeting code. As part of this process, the Office is:
  • undertaking a review of the existing meeting rules prescribed by the Regulation, and
  • seeking to identify examples of better practice meeting rules contained in councils’ adopted codes of meeting practice.
• The Office is seeking the assistance of councils in developing the model meeting code. In particular the Office is seeking submissions on the following:
  • how the current meeting rules prescribed by the Regulation can be improved,
  • any areas of meeting practice that are not currently prescribed that should be prescribed, and
• any examples of better practice that may be incorporated in the non-mandatory provisions of the model meeting code.

Key points

• Submissions may be made by email to olg@olg.nsw.gov.au.
• Submissions should be labelled “model code of meeting practice development” and marked to the attention of the Office’s Council Governance Team.
• Submissions should be made before Friday 20 January 2017.

Where to go for further information

• For further information, contact the Office’s Council Governance Team on 02 4428 4100.

Tim Hurst

Acting Chief Executive