Project details
Contact us
Have questions or want to learn more about this policy? Contact:
| Name | George Georgakis |
|---|---|
| Phone | 02 9392 5560 |
| George.Georgakis@innerwest.nsw.gov.au |
Project stages
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Timeline item 1 - active
Open
This stage is now completed.
-
Timeline item 2 - incomplete
Under Review
Contributions to this consultation are closed for evaluation and review.
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Timeline item 3 - incomplete
Council decision
Council will consider a report including community feedback before it makes its final decision.
What happens next?
Next steps
After the public exhibition, a report including your feedback will be presented to Council for consideration. Everyone who provided feedback will be informed when the report will be considered by Council.
Background
The Local Government (General) Amendment (Model Code of Meeting Practice) Regulation 2025, which prescribed the 2025 Model Code of Meeting Practice for NSW councils, has been disallowed by the Legislative Council.
As a result, the Office of Local Government has advised each council to rescind the resolution it made to adopt the 2025 Model Code of Meeting Practice.
What is happening now?
At its meeting on 16 June 2026, Council rescinded the resolution made at the 9 December 2025 Council Meeting, which adopted the 2025 Model Code of Meeting Practice.
The effect of rescinding the resolution made at the December 2025 Council Meeting is that the previous version of the Code of Meeting Practice, which was adopted on 19 August 2025, then immediately came back into force.
Recommended changes
Three changes are recommended to the reinstated Code of Meeting Practice which will require public exhibition of a draft Code of Meeting Practice.
These changes are:
- To enable consideration of Confidential Items earlier in the Order of Business at Council Meetings (Clause 8.1).
- To change the deadline of Notices of Motion to enable the continued publication of Council Meeting agendas 12 days before the Council Meeting (Clause 3.9).
- To replace 2 minutes to 5 minutes for the duration of Councillor speeches at meeting (which the Office of Local Government has advised is a mandatory clause and cannot be 2 minutes (Clause 10.22).
What is this Code about?
The Code of Meeting Practice outlines the procedures for the conduct of Council and Committee meetings.
The purpose of this Code of Meeting Practice is to provide a clear and consistent framework for how meetings are conducted.
The Code sets out eight meeting principles under which Council and committee meetings should be conducted.
Transparent: | Decisions are made in a way that is open and accountable. |
Informed | Decisions are made based on relevant, quality information. |
Inclusive | Decisions respect the diverse needs and interests of the local community. |
Principled | Decisions are informed by the principles prescribed under Chapter 3 of the Act. |
Trusted | The community has confidence that Councillors and staff act ethically and make decisions in the interests of the whole community. |
Respectful | Councillors, staff and meeting attendees treat each other with respect. |
Effective | Meetings are well organised, effectively run and skillfully chaired. |
Orderly | Councillors, staff and meeting attendees behave in a way that contributes to the orderly conduct of the meeting. |
The Code applies to all meetings of Councils and committees of Councils of which all the members are Councillors (committees of Council). Council committees whose members include persons other than Councillors may adopt their own rules for meetings unless the Council determines otherwise.
Have your say
You can provide feedback by:
- Completing the form below
- Emailing to george.georgakis@innerwest.nsw.gov.au
- Posting to c/o George Georgakis, Inner West Council, Po Box 14, Petersham NSW 2049
- Calling us on 02 9392 5560
Other ways to provide feedback:
- Call a FREE Interpreter or the National Relay Service, Monday to Friday between 9am-4pm and provide our phone number 02 9392 5560
- Free Interpreter call TIS National on 131 450
- Voice relay call 1300 555 727
- TTY call 133 677
- SMS relay call 0423 677 767
Last day to provide feedback is 2 August 2026
