18 June 2026
Looking forward to ALGA Conference in Canberra
I’m looking forward to seeing many of you in Canberra next week for the National General Assembly of the Australian Local Government Association.
This is always an important gathering of colleagues from across the nation and this year will include some focussed advocacy on the pressing issue of financial sustainability.
We will be demanding fairer funding now from the Federal Government. Now, more than ever, our sector needs to speak with one voice to address this crisis.
Red Fleet announcement
For many councils that have RFS assets within their LGA, last week’s announcement from the State Government that it will take over ownership and responsibility of the “Red Fleet” from 1 July 2027 is very welcome news indeed.
This reform will be particularly appreciated in smaller rural and regional areas, where the vesting of Red Fleet assets has had a huge impact, as these communities often have a proportionally larger RFS presence.
The announcement is a major win for local government and comes after years of persistent advocacy by LGNSW and from our individual councils.
Councils strongly support the work of the RFS and recognise that it is a world-leading firefighting service. We now look forward to working with the State Government over the next 12 months to ensure a successful transition, including appropriate consideration of maintenance contracts.
The Office of Local Government has issued an invite to councils to attend a webinar on reforms to the regulation of councillor conduct that were released for exhibition last week.
LGNSW has been calling for clarity and progress on the Councillor Conduct Framework, so we welcome this consultation from the Government and look forward to hearing from the OLG.
This webinar on Friday 26 June will provide an overview of the proposed new framework, including:
- The Councillor Conduct Reform Policy Statement
- The draft Model Code of Conduct for Councillors
Webinar Details
Date: Friday 26 June 2026
Time: 2.00pm-3.30pm
Registration: OLG Webinar: Reforms to the regulation of councillor conduct
Who should attend: Mayors and councillors, general managers, and governance staff.
For those unable to attend the live session, a recording will be made available within two weeks following the webinar.
Please contact the OLG Council Engagement Team on (02) 4428 4100 for further information.
Sincerely,
Mayor Darcy Byrne
LGNSW President