Wingecarribee Shire Council is seeking feedback from the community after Council’s Interim Administrator endorsed a public exhibition of the amended Draft Code of Meeting Practice.
The draft document sets out both mandatory provisions that a council must include in its Code of Meeting Practice and non-mandatory provisions. The non-mandatory provisions reflect what the Office of Local Government (OLG) deem as best practice guidelines.
Council’s original Meeting Code was adopted in June 2019 and the current amendments suggested are based on the Model Code of Meeting Practice for Local Councils in NSW as prescribed under the Local Government Act 1993 and the Local Government Regulation 2005.
To help Council transition to a paperless office, one of the new provisions of the amended Code of Meeting Practice is to only provide incoming Councillors with electronic copies of future Business Papers.
A further recommendation suggests that all briefing sessions and workshops only be considered in Closed Council if they meet the provisions of the Local Government Act 1993 and any guidelines as issued by the Office of Local Government. This recommendation has been included to facilitate greater transparency and openness.
The amended Draft Code of Meeting Practice and associated information can be viewed online at www.yoursaywingecarribee.com.au/governance.
