Councils are guided by a range of laws, regulations and policies to support them to make good decisions that will create positive outcomes for their local communities.
Councils should comply or take into consideration policies and guidelines to conform to best practice when making decisions on behalf of their communities.
View the vast range of guidelines and policy resources available for local Government.
Acts and regulations
Local councils must comply with various acts and regulations. The Office of Local Government administers, or shares responsibility for administering, the following:
For access to all NSW acts and regulations, visit NSW Legislation.
Local Government Act Review
The NSW Government has been leading local government reform to:
- Improve council performance, integrity, transparency and accountability.
- Streamline legislative, planning and regulatory frameworks and requirements
- Build strategic capacity of local councils so they are better placed to serve their local communities.
The reform program continues today, with a renewed focus on responsible and transparent governance, and quality, affordable services for communities.
Over the past few years there have been important amendments to the Local Government Act to improve business planning and governance, and strengthen the accountability of local leaders.
Further amendments to the Act were made in June 2019 through the Local Government Amendment Act 2019. Amendments made include:
- Ensuring councils are given the time they need to have important conversations with their communities about changes to the rating system and to make important decisions about arrangements for council elections in 2020.
- Removing some of the current limits on local Government procurement and make other amendments to cut red tape and reduce the regulatory burden on councils and local communities, and
- Allowing more opportunities for councils to share regulatory services and staff across existing boundaries to achieve higher quality services and best value for money.
The Government is examining work undertaken by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) in reviewing local government regulation, reporting and rating. 3 separate IPART reports on these issues were released for public consultation in June 2019. Submissions have now closed. The Government is currently considering feedback and will respond in due course.
Further resources are available via:
Local Government (General) Regulation Review
The Office of Local Government is undertaking a statutory review of the Local Government (General) Regulation 2021 (LG Regulation).
The Local Government Act 1993 is supported by the LG Regulation which will be automatically repealed on 1 September 2026 unless remade before then. In 2021, the LG Regulation was remade, however, a statutory review was not undertaken.
For efficient and effective legislation, regular reviews of regulations are conducted to ensure the principles of simplification, repeal, reform, and consolidation are achieved. However, the size and scope of the LG Regulation presents challenges in conducting such reviews.
In 2005, the Local Government (General) Regulation 2005 replaced 9 regulations, making it the largest regulation in the NSW statute book. Given the size and scope of the LG Regulation and to better serve the sector, it is proposed to transfer sections of the LG Regulation into three stand-alone instruments. This would allow for a more focused and targeted approach to regulation, enhancing efficiency and effectiveness.
The 3 proposed new instruments are:
- Local Government (Elections) Regulation (LG Elections Regulation)
- Local Government (Council Governance and Operations) Regulation (LG Council Governance and Operations Regulation)
- Local Government (Approvals) Regulation (LG Approvals Regulation).
The transfer of the election provisions of the LG Regulation to a standalone LG Elections Regulation is the first step in the statutory review and aims to ensure the continued efficiency and effectiveness of local government elections.
Have your say
A Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS), a consultation feedback form and other supporting information are available for review by councils, other stakeholders and the wider community. Feedback on the proposed regulatory framework for elections may be provided until close of business on Friday, 12th December 2025.
The RIS examines the impact, including costs and benefits, of remaking the electoral provisions under Part 11 and Schedules 4–11 of the LG Regulation into a standalone LG Elections Regulation. The aim is to ensure that it is the best option available to deliver a responsive and accessible regulatory framework that provides clear and effective policy guidance on the conduct of local Government elections.
Read the documentation:
- Local Government (Elections) Regulation – Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) (PDF, 11.2 MB)
- Local Government (General) Regulation Review – Feedback Form (PDF, 203 KB)
Interested parties, including councils, other stakeholders, and the wider community are invited to submit written comments using the feedback form to OLG.
If commenting on a specific matter or provision, refer to the relevant section number of the LG Regulation.
Submissions may be via:
- email using the feedback form with the subject LG Elections Regulation
- post to LG Elections Regulation, Council Governance Team, Office of Local Government, Locked Bag 3015, Nowra NSW 2541
The closing date for submissions is close of business on Friday, 12th December 2025.
What will happen with submissions?
OLG will review and evaluate the submissions received, and amendments may be made to the proposed LG Elections Regulation. Copies of submissions will be provided to the Legislation Review Committee of the NSW Parliament along with a final version of the proposed LG Elections Regulation.
All submissions received will be published on this webpage when available. Personal information including phone numbers, email addresses and signatures will be redacted prior to publication. Additionally, any personally identifying, offensive or defamatory content will also be redacted.
If you wish for all or part of your submission to be treated as confidential, please clearly state this in your submission.
Please check back again. Further information will be published on the new LG Council Governance and Operations Regulation when it becomes available.
Please check back again. Further information will be published on the new LG Approvals Regulation when it becomes available.
Next steps
OLG is consulting on the proposed new LG Elections Regulation.
Please check this page regularly for updates regarding the next steps of the review process.
Council reporting
Calendar of compliance
Councils are required to submit several reports and returns/surveys annually, as required by the Local Government Act 1993 and by OLG policy. The Integrated Planning and Reporting framework details the reporting requirements that are mandated in the Local Government Act. Learn more on the Integrated Planning and Reporting framework.
The calendar of compliance includes key deadlines for strategic management tasks for all councils and Joint Organisations in NSW. Statutory and other reporting deadlines are not limited to those included in the calendar of compliance.
Annual reporting requirements
Councils are required to submit several reports and returns/surveys annually, as required by the Local Government Act 1993 and by OLG policy.
Annual reporting requirements at a glance
| Due date / frequency | Report | Requirements | Legislative reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Within 5 months of the end of each financial year(ie by 30 November) | Reports on the achievements in implementing the Delivery Program and the effectiveness of the principal activities undertaken in achieving the objectives in the Community Strategic Plan at which those activities are directed. The report must be prepared in accordance with the Local Government Regulation and the Integrated Planning & Reporting Guidelines. The report must be posted on the council’s website. | s428 (Act)cl 217(1) (Reg) | |
| Tabled at the second meeting of the incoming council and included in the annual report due 30 Nov in year in which an ordinary election is held | ‘State of our City’ report | Reports on the council’s progress in implementing the Community Strategic Plan over the previous four years. This report looks at outcomes, i.e. what have been the results for the community and council as a result of the activities undertaken. This includes environmental issues relevant to the objectives for the environment established by the Community Strategic Plan. The report must be prepared in accordance with the Guidelines | s428(2)(Act) |
| At least every 6 months (Dates determined by council) | Progress reports | Report on progress with respect to the principal activities detailed in the Delivery Program. | s404(5)(Act) |
| Not later than 2 months after the end of each quarter (except the June quarter)(i.e. by 1 December, 1 March, and 1 June) | Budget review statement | Shows, by reference to the estimate of income and expenditure set out in the statement of Council’s revenue policy included in the Operational Plan for the relevant year, a revised estimate of the income and expenditure for that year. | cl203(Reg) |
Councillor expenses and facilities
Councillor expenses and facilities policies should allow for councillors to receive adequate and reasonable expenses and facilities to enable them to carry out their civic duties as elected representatives of their local communities.
View resources for councillor expenses and facilities policies:
Public Private Partnerships
A Public Private Partnership is defined under the Local Government Act 1993 as an arrangement:
- Between a council and a private person to provide public infrastructure or facilities (being infrastructure or facilities in respect of which the council has an interest, liability or responsibility under the arrangement).
- In which the public infrastructure or facilities are provided in part or in whole through private sector financing, ownership or control but does not include any such arrangement if it is of a class that has been excluded from the operation of this Part by the regulations.
Any council entering into a Public Private Partnership must comply with the guidelines on the procedures and processes to be followed by Local Government in Public-Private Partnerships – January 2022 (PDF, 653 KB).
The guidelines are not intended to be onerous or require work in addition to that normally expected of a prudent organisation when entering into a complex partnership arrangement. They follow well-established practices for Public Private Partnerships at the State level.
Councils are required to submit an assessment of the project to be carried out under the Public Private Partnership to the Office of Local Government before they enter an arrangement. The general manager must certify that this assessment has been carried out in accordance with the Public Private Partnership guidelines.