The new
2018 Model Code of Meeting Practice for Local Councils in NSW and Procedures
for administration was prescribed on 14 December 2018 under the Local
Government (General) Regulation 2005.
The Model
Code of Meeting Practice applies to all meetings of Councils and Committees of Councils
of which ALL members are Councillors.
Council
committees whose members include persons other than Councillors may adopt their
own rules for meetings, unless the Council determines otherwise.
This now
applies to more than 45,000 staff and nearly 1,300 councillors at 128 councils
across NSW.
A summary
of the new requirements includes:
Councils must adopt a Code of Meeting Practice that
incorporates the mandatory provisions of the Model Meeting Code no later than
12 months after the next ordinary council elections.
Council’s existing Code of Meeting Practice will
remain in force up until six months from the date on which the new Model
Meeting Code was prescribed (i.e. until 14 June 2019).
If a Council fails to adopt a new Code of Meeting Practice
within the 6-month period, any provisions of the Council’s adopted meeting code
that are inconsistent with the mandatory provisions of the Model Meeting Code
will automatically cease to have any effect.
A Council’s adopted codes of meeting practice may
also incorporate the non-mandatory provisions of the Model Meeting Code and
other supplementary provisions as long as they are not inconsistent with the
mandatory provisions.
All Councils are required to webcast meetings of
the Council and Committees of which ALL members are Councillors from 14
December 2019.
The newly prescribed Model Code of Meeting Practice can be found here
What Councils
Should Do
Adopt a Code of Meeting Practice that incorporates
the mandatory provisions of the Model Meeting Code by 14 June 2019
Consider which non-mandatory and other
supplementary provisions based on Council’s needs should also be adopted.
Train all Councillors and staff on the
application of the New Code of Meeting Practice – including all mandatory
provisions as well as non-mandatory and supplementary provisions Council has
decided to adopt.
Adopt a Code of Meeting Practice that
incorporates the mandatory provisions of the Model Meeting Code no later than
12 months after the next ordinary elections.
Make provision to webcast meetings of the Council
and Committees of which ALL members are Councillors from 14 December 2019.
Exhibit a draft of the Code of Meeting Practice
for at least 28 days and provide members of the community at least 42 days in
which to comment on the draft Code.
A Roadmap for adopting the new Model Code of Meeting Practice is set out below.
How Centium
Can Help
We have a team of expert Local Government
specialists who have worked in the busiest Local Councils in NSW and our
services are readily procured through LG Procurement.
Review and update your Council’s Code of Meeting Practice, based on including mandatory provisions as well as non-mandatory and supplementary provisions considered important to your Council, so that your local Code of Meeting Practice is bespoke and fit for purpose yet in line with the Model Code;
Train and brief staff and Councillors regarding the new local Code of Meeting Practice you adopt (and relevant staff on new local Procedures);
Undertake Code of Conduct reviews and investigations for alleged breaches of those protocols
Help assess and design controls in place that promote/enforce proper use of Council’s Code of Meeting Practice
Help design values-based organisational culture enrichment programs that encourage and enforce behavioural adherence to the principles that underpin Council’s Code of Meeting Practice
Centium services
are readily procured through the LG Procurement Panel (LGP218), as Management
Consultants and/or Internal Auditors.
Megan has extensive executive
management experience working in Local Government and has a deep understanding
of the operating context and challenges faced by Local Government.
Lisa Sampson, Practice Manager, Business Development & Innovation
0414
285 721
Lisa has extensive experience in
regulatory framework development and compliance, commercialisation across the
project lifecycle (from idea to execution), mergers and amalgamations (pre,
during and post-merger), strategic brand building, publicity, marketing and
communications.
