The 2018-19 Calendar of Compliance and Reporting Requirements for Joint Organisations is now available. Joint Organisations should use the Calendar to assist in planning strategic and operational tasks for 2018-19 and 2019-20 as applicable.

Under the proposed amendments, councils will have until 1 January 2020 to resolve to make a decision on the administration of their elections and enter into any arrangements with the NSWEC.

Commencing on 31 January 2019, councils are required to implement a regulated 10-minute grace period for certain paid parking offences of more than one hour. These changes relate to all parking fine issuing authorities, including NSW government agencies, councils and universities.

Amendments have been made to the Local Government (General) Regulation 2005 (the Regulation) to give effect to the Government’s response to the recommendations of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters (JSCEM) in relation to preference counting in local government elections.

The new 2018 Model Code of Conduct for Local Councils in NSW (the Model Code of Conduct) and Procedures for the Administration of the Model Code of Conduct for Local Councils in NSW (Procedures) have now been prescribed under the Local Government (General) Regulation 2005. The new prescribed Model Code of Conduct and Procedures are available on OLG’s website.

Amendments made to the Local Government Act 1993 (LGA) in August 2016 by the Local Government Amendment (Governance and Planning) Act 2016 (the Phase 1 amendments) provide for a model code of meeting practice (Model Meeting Code) to be prescribed by the Regulation.

Amendments made to the Local Government Act 1993 (the Act) by the Local Government Amendment (Governance and Planning) Act 2016 in August 2016 saw the inclusion in the prescribed role of councillors under section 232 a responsibility “to make all reasonable efforts to acquire and maintain the skills necessary to perform the role of a councillor”. In support of this, regulations have been made for induction and other professional development for mayors and councillors. The new requirements under the Local Government (General) Regulation 2005 are outlined in the attachment to this circular. These requirements do not apply to joint organisations.

Under section 296AA of the Local Government Act 1993 (the Act), councils must make a decision on how their September 2020 ordinary elections are to be administered no later than 11 March 2019.

The NSW Parliament recently passed amendments to the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA Act). These changes came into effect on 28 November 2018 and will impact on how councils fulfil their obligations under the GIPA Act.The NSW Information and Privacy Commission (IPC) has issued guidance on the changes which can be accessed here. The IPC is also reviewing and updating its guidance material and fact sheets to reflect the amendments to the GIPA Act.

In the lead up to the March 2019 State election, councillors, council staff and other council officials need to be aware of their obligations under the Model Code of Conduct for Local Councils in NSW (the Model Code) in relation to the use of council resources.