On 24 November 2021, Council endorsed an amended Code of Meeting Practice (‘amended Meeting Code’) for public exhibition.

Council’s Meeting Code was initially adopted on 12 June 2019. It was developed based on the Model Code of Meeting Practice for Local Councils in NSW (‘Model Meeting Code’), prescribed under section 360(1) of the Local Government Act 1993 (‘the Act’) and clause 232 of the Local Government (General) Regulation 2005.

The Model Meeting Code sets out mandatory provisions that a council must include in its code of meeting practice, as well as several non-mandatory provisions that a council may, but is not required to, include. The non-mandatory provisions reflect what the Office of Local Government sees as being best practice for the relevant aspect of Council meetings. Councils can also include supplementary provisions in their codes of meeting practice, so long as those provisions are not inconsistent with the mandatory provisions provided by the Model Meeting Code.

The amended Meeting Code is consistent with recent decisions of Council, and improves transparency and openness with respect to pre-meeting briefing sessions and other information sessions.

The amended Meeting Code:

• amends timing of ordinary Council meetings at clause 3.1
• inserts statement of ethical obligations at clause 3.23
• amends pre-meeting briefing session at clause 3.32 and inserts clause 3.34
• inserts clause 4.2 in holding a public forum
• removes publication of written, visual or audio material
• amends Attendance by Councillors at meetings at clause 5.2
• inserts meetings held by audio visual link at clause 5.15 through to 5.29
• amends webcasting of meetings at clause 5.33 and inserts clauses 5.34 through to 5.38
• inserts clause 5.43, attendance of the General Manager and other staff at meetings
• inserts obligations of Councillors attending meetings via audio-visual link at clause 14.20
• inserts how disorder by Councillors attending meetings by audio-visual link may be dealt with at clause 15.20 and clause 15.21
• amends use of mobile phones and the unauthorised recording of meetings at clause 15.24
• inserts conflict of interest at clause 16.2

Have your say on the amended Meeting Code by 4.30pm Monday 17 January 2022.

• Check out the Council report and amended Code of Meeting Practice in the document library. Changes made to the document are shown in purple or strikethrough text.
• Complete an online submission form, send your thoughts to mail@wsc.nsw.gov.au or post to PO Box 141, Moss Vale 2577 to be received by 4.30pm Monday 17 January 2022.
• Ask us a question below or contact the Corporate Strategy and Governance Team on 02 4868 0888