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.
16-45 – NSW Government response to the Independent Review of Swimming Pool Regulation
The NSW Government has released the Final Report of Mr Michael Lambert’s Independent Review of Swimming Pool Regulation, along with its response.
16-44 – Election Timing and Cycle of Council Elections
The NSW Government is seeking to clarify the timing of electoral cycles given the ‘pending’ status of a number of merger proposals as a consequence of legal action taken by councils covered by these proposals. The information provided in this circular is based on advice received from the NSW Electoral Commissioner.
16-43 – Responsible Pet Ownership Grants Program – Successful Applicants in Year Three
Applications for year three of the Responsible Pet Ownership Grants Program have now been assessed and 35 projects with a total project value of $302,591 will receive grant funding.
Starting in 2014-15, the NSW Government committed $900,000 over three years to the Grants Program.
16-42 – Review of the Model Code of Conduct and Procedures for the Administration of the Model Code of Conduct
The recent amendments to the Local Government Act 1993 (the Act) will see the pecuniary interest provisions of the Act and the Local Government (General) Regulation 2005 incorporated into the Model Code of Conduct for Local Councils in NSW (the Model Code).
16-41 – Annual Code of Conduct Complaints Reporting
Under the Model Code of Conduct Procedures, each council’s complaints coordinator must report annually on a range of complaint statistics to their council and to the Office of Local Government within 3 months of the end of September.