Open and transparent decision-making the basis for updated documents

At the Council Meeting on Monday 31 August a number of updated key strategic documents were adopted relating to governance processes and procedures.

Council was required to update these documents by September 1 as part of the implementation of the new Local Government Act 2020.

In reviewing and preparing these documents, Council has drawn on the sector benchmarking, engagement and guidance provided by Local Government Victoria and advice from Council’s solicitors.

The updated documents bring together many of Council’s existing guidelines and policies and will support the continuation of Council’s commitment to open and transparent decision-making.

The newly adopted documents are:

The Governance Rules set out requirements for how Council meetings are conducted and how Council decisions are made.

The Rules are designed to ensure good governance by Council through the performance of its role in accordance with the overarching governance principles and supporting principles of the Act.

The Election Period Policy, which forms part of the Governance Rules, has been developed in order to ensure that next general elections for Maroondah City Council, to be held on Saturday 24 October 2020, are conducted in a manner that is fair and equitable to all candidates and is publicly perceived as such.

The Public Transparency Policy formalises Council’s commitment to open and transparent decision-making. It describes which Council information is publicly available, and how to access this information. It also explains when Council information may be confidential or when making it available may be contrary to the public interest.

The Council Expenses Policy supports Councillors and members of delegated committees to perform their role, as defined under the Local Government Act 2020, by ensuring that expenses reasonably incurred in the performance of their role are reimbursed. The policy also provides guidance on entitlements, processes for reimbursement and reporting requirements.

The Audit & Risk Committee Charter supports Council in discharging its oversight responsibilities relating to financial reporting, risk management, fraud prevention, maintenance of sound systems of internal control, assurance activities including internal and external audit, and Council’s performance regarding Legislative and regulatory compliance.

The Petitions Policy governs the way in which petitions are received by Council and outlines the requirements of a valid petition to ensure that the rights of the community to lobby Local Government are met. This policy also seeks to ensure that the community is informed about their rights to Privacy, with regards to the personal information provided on a petition.

For further information, or to request a hard copy of the strategic documents, call us on 1300 88 22 33 or 9298 4598.