Regulation strengthens transparency and trust in local democracy

The NSW Government has implemented measures to improve transparency, integrity and public confidence in local government decision-making.

The Local Government (General) Amendment (Meetings) Regulation 2026 introduces key measures to help ensure higher standards of behaviour, stronger accountability, and greater public visibility of council meetings.

Key reforms include mandatory livestreaming and recording of council meetings, restrictions on private briefings between councillors and staff on agenda items, strengthened powers to address disorderly conduct, and clearer rules to support transparent decision-making.

The new regulation supplements the reinstated 2021 Model Code of Meeting Practice, which resumed operation following the disallowance of the 2025 Model Code of Meeting Practice in the Legislative Council on 26 May.

Further information:

The 2021 Model Meeting Code of Practice is now supplemented by the new amendment regulation which contains the following measures which local councils are required to implement:

• Meetings of councils and committees whose members are councillors must be livestreamed with recordings of meetings retained on councils’ websites for the balance of the council term or 12 months, whichever is the longer period. This requirement is optional for joint organisations and county councils.
• Councillors other than the mayor or chair of a meeting are prohibited from meeting staff before council or committee meetings to discuss matters that are or will be listed on the agenda. Councillors can seek further information about agenda items for meetings, but the information must be provided in writing and, if practicable, published on the council’s website before the meeting unless it relates to a confidential matter listed under section 10A of the Local Government Act.
• Councils will be required to determine at the first meeting after each ordinary election, and after the adoption of a new meeting code, to authorise the person presiding at meetings to be able remove councillors or members of the public from meetings for disorderly conduct.
• A councillor who has failed to remedy an act of disorder at a meeting as required by the chairperson can be expelled from following meetings until they do so.
• Like joint organisations, county councils will have the option of holding meetings where some or all members attend remotely by audio-visual device, but the meeting must be conducted in a way that all members are able to hear each other.