We want to hear what you think of the amended Code of Meeting Practice

On 20 May 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, reflects Council’s commitment to becoming a paperless office, and improves transparency and openness with respect to pre-meeting briefing sessions and other information sessions. Certain amendments also more closely align parts of the amended Meeting Code with relevant non-mandatory provisions of the Model Meeting Code.

The amended Meeting Code:

• removes the reference to petitions at clause 8.1
• removes references to visitor items at clause 4.19, the original Part 5 and clause 8.1
• amends references to Council’s Finance Committee at clauses 3.13, 9.10 and 10.9
• amends clause 3.8 relating to providing Councillors with copies of business papers by requiring that these copies be provided in electronic form
• amends clause 3.33 relating to pre-meeting briefing sessions so that these briefing sessions become open to the public
• amends Part 4 relating to public forums to better align it with the Model Meeting Code
• inserts new supplementary provisions at Part 21 relating to Council workshops.

Have your say on the amended Meeting Code by 4.30pm Friday 16 July 2021.

• 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 Friday 16 July 2021
• Ask us a question below or contact the Corporate Strategy and Governance Team on 02 4868 0888