Councillors' Use of Social Media

"The City does not propose to engage in a public debate about its interactions with particular councillors, however the City wishes to confirm its position on several points that may be of interest to the community.

Firstly, the City does not oppose councillors using social media to interact with the community, and various councillors do so regularly.

Secondly, any councillor’s decision to remove their social media presence is theirs alone; the City has not made any demands on any councillors to do so. Nonetheless, the City does expect that all councillors are mindful of their responsibilities under the City’s Code of Conduct and the Local Government (Rules of Conduct) Regulations 2007. Furthermore, the City expects that all information posted on social media by councillors is factually correct.  The City is currently preparing a social media policy for councillors, potentially based on the model released by the WA Local Government Association which aims to ensure elected members are aware of their responsibilities to provide professional and accurate representation of their Local Government.

Finally, the City fully supports openness, transparency, and accountability but must act in accordance with relevant legislation which requires certain matters to be kept confidential, such as Standards Panel referrals."

​Mayor Barry Sammels