17-03 – 2017 Ministers’ Awards for Women in Local Government
The Minister for Local Government, the Hon. Gabrielle Upton MP announced the winners of the tenth annual Ministers’ Awards for Women in Local Government at Parliament House on 7 March 2017.
17-02 – Draft Code of Accounting Practice and Financial Reporting (update 25) and Supplement
The draft 2016-17 Code of Accounting Practice and Financial Reporting has been released for comment.
17-01 – Exhibition draft of Bill to amend the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979
As announced in May 2016, the Government is exhibiting draft amendments to the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act). The draft Bill will be on exhibition from 9 January 2017 to 10 March 2017.
16-52 – Induction and Ongoing Professional Development for Mayors and Councillors
The recent Phase 1 amendments to the Local Government Act 1993 (the Act) have seen 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, the amendments allow regulations to be made for induction and other professional development for Mayors and Councillors.
16-49 – Fit for the Future Improvement Plans and Integrated Planning and Reporting
In 2015, all councils prepared an Improvement Plan to demonstrate how they would become Fit for the Future. As councils undertake the next cycle of Integrated Planning and Reporting, it is important that the strategies and actions identified in the Improvement Plans are reflected in the new Delivery Program and Resourcing Strategy. Councils are reminded that the Office of Local Government will monitor councils’ performance against the Fit for the Future benchmarks over time.
16-50 – Integrated Planning and Reporting requirements for councils with deferred elections
This Circular provides advice to those councils with deferred elections (see list below) in relation to their Integrated Planning and Reporting requirements until their next local government elections occur.
16-51 – Further Phase 1 amendments to the Local Government Act commence and amending regulation made
s notified in Circular 16-30, the NSW Parliament passed amendments to the Local Government Act 1993 (the LGA) in the Local Government Amendment (Governance and Planning) Act 2016. These reforms are known as the Phase 1 amendments.
16-48 – Special Variation and Minimum Rate Variation Guidelines and Process for 2017/18
New councils and those where a merger is pending due to legal proceedings will not be eligible for a special or minimum rate variation for the 2017/18 rating year.
The Guidelines outline the process for all other councils seeking to apply for a special or minimum rate variation for 2017/18.
16-47 – Update of Parking Area Agreement Guidelines and release of fact sheets on free parking area and strata/community parking area agreements
The Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 commenced on 30 November 2016, allowing strata and community schemes to apply to their local council to enter into an agreement to enforce parking restrictions in a scheme. This complements long-standing powers under the Local Government Act 1993 (the Act), allowing private landowners to apply to their local council to enter into a free parking area agreement.
16-46 – Development of a Model Code of Meeting Practice for Local Councils in NSW
The recent amendments to the Local Government Act 1993 (the Act) provide for a model code of meeting practice (model meeting code) to be prescribed by regulation. Work on developing the model meeting code has now commenced. The code will contain both mandatory and non-mandatory provisions. Once the model meeting code is finalised, and prescribed by regulation, councils will be required to adopt a code of meeting practice that incorporates its mandatory provisions. Councils’ codes of meeting practice must not contain provisions that are inconsistent with the mandatory provisions of the model meeting code.