Council releases draft governance rules for comment

East Gippsland Shire Council is looking for feedback from the community into the development of rules for conducting Council meetings.

These new Governance Rules will replace Local Law No. 1 and are part of changes to the sector under the new Local Government Act 2020. ensuring good governance and transparency. Council will seek to revoke Local Law 1 (s223) and replace it with Governance Rules around the procedure for Council meetings.

Like Local Law No. 1, the Governance Rules detail how meetings will be conducted, to ensure good governance and transparency. The new Local Government Act 2020 requires all Victorian Council’s to make and adopt Governance Rules by 1 September 2020.

Council’s General Manager Business Excellence Peter Cannizzaro said the proposed new Governance Rules contain, by and large, the same elements of Council meeting procedures.

“We encourage community members to make submissions on the Governance Rules,” Mr Cannizzaro said.

Submissions on the new Governance Rules close on Thursday, July 23. Submissions on revoking Local Law No. 1 close on Thursday, August 6.

Submissions can be made through Council’s engagement portal, yoursay.eastgippsland.vic.gov.au, and customer service and outreach centres.