Important legislative changes that affect the way in which local governments undertake their business have come into effect.
The changes mean local governments now have a requirement to adhere to minimum standards covering the recruitment, selection, performance review and early termination of Chief Executive Officers.
They also introduce a mandatory code of conduct for council members, committee members and candidates.
Local governments will also be required to prepare and adopt a code of conduct for employees as soon as is practicable.
The legislation was developed following consultation with the local government sector in 2019 and 2020, bringing into effect the remaining parts of the Local Government Legislation Amendment Act 2019 (Amendment Act).
The Amendment Act has already meant the introduction of universal training for candidates and council members, and a new gift framework.
The McGowan Government announced a review of the outdated Local Government Act 1995 in 2017, an election commitment to modernise and empower local government to deliver for the community.
The new regulations are:
- Local Government (Administration) Amendment Regulations 2021;
- Local Government (Model Code of Conduct) Regulations 2021; and
- Local Government Regulations Amendment (Employee Code of Conduct) Regulations 2021.
As stated by Local Government Minister David Templeman:
“These legislative changes are another step on the road to enabling local governments to modernise and deliver good governance for their communities, now and into the future.
“The McGowan Government has committed to transforming local government by building the capacity of the sector since the election in 2017.
“We will continue to work with the sector to make changes that enable local governments to operate more efficiently, and in tune with what WA’s communities expect from them.”
