Circulars

What’s new or changing

• The Chief Executive of the Office of Local Government has issued guidelines to provide instructions to councils that are the subject of merger proposals on the appropriate exercise of their functions during the period in which a merger proposal is under consideration by the Chief Executive, the Boundaries Commission and the Minister for Local Government.

What this will mean for your council

• The Guidelines have been issued under section 23A of the Local Government Act 1993. Councils are required to consider the Guidelines in exercising their functions.
• The Office of Local Government will be monitoring compliance with the Guidelines.

Key points

• During a merger proposal period, councils and council officials should be wary of the need to act in the best interests of their community and for the purposes of meeting the needs of that community.
• Councils should not make decisions that needlessly impose avoidable costs on a new council.

Where to go for further information

• The Guidelines are available on the Office’s website at www.olg.nsw.gov.au.
• For more information contact the Office’s Council Governance Team on 4428 4100.

Tim Hurst
Acting Chief Executive