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2018 New Model Code of Meeting Practice

February 21, 2019

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.

We can help you to:

  • 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.

For more info, download our 2018 New Model Code of Meeting Practice Service Sheet or alternatively, contact:

Megan Tebay, Practice Manager, Local Government

0430 096 019

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.

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