Circulars

What’s new or changing

• The “departmental chief executive” of the Office of Local Government (OLG) has issued Guidelines on the recruitment of senior council executives under section 23A of the Local Government Act 1993 (the Act). The Guidelines are available here.
• The Guidelines have been issued in response to the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s corruption prevention recommendations arising from its investigation of the former Canterbury City Council (Operation Dasha).

What this will mean for your council

• The Guidelines provide guidance on the following topics:
  • merit selection in recruitment processes
  • the development of staff capabilities and the use of internal recruitment processes
  • the need for councils to have recruitment policies
  • the use of recruitment/human resources specialists when recruiting for senior executive roles
  • the use of subject matter experts when recruiting for senior executive roles
  • the role of internal audit in auditing recruitment processes
  • the role of councillors in the recruitment of staff
  • consultation with councillors on “senior staff” appointments, and
  • reporting wrongdoing in recruitment processes.
• Under section 23A of the Act, general managers and councils must consider the Guidelines when exercising their functions in relation to the recruitment of senior executives and other roles where relevant.

Where to go for further information

• The Guidelines are available here.
• For further information please contact OLG’s Council Governance Team on (02) 4428 4100 or by email at olg@olg.nsw.gov.au.