12 March 2021

Remote meetings

I am pleased to report that, consistent with LGNSW advocacy, the NSW Government is calling for submissions to amend rules around council meetings to allow councillors to attend remotely in certain circumstances.

However, when Albury City Council called on LGNSW at our Annual Conference last November to push for remote attendance options to be made permanent, a motion also put by Wagga Wagga City, Waverley and Orange City councils, it was to enshrine existing arrangements, which end on March 25.

The NSW Government has released a consultation paper to consider changes to the Model Code of Meeting Practice for councils to allow for councillors to attend meetings remotely, but the parameters do not enshrine the successful flexibilities introduced during COVID 19.

While the NSW Government proposal opens the door to remote meeting attendance, it comes with significant limitations that take us back to the past.

The consultation paper says remote attendance would be allowed only when a councillor is prevented from attending in person due to ill health, disability, carer responsibilities, natural disaster or up to three times a year because they are absent from the local area due to a prior work commitment.

The NSW Government must let individual councils voluntarily determine their own limitations into their own meeting codes.

Councils are best placed to know what suits their needs. Some will choose to not have remote meeting options at all. But for many, flexibility allows for greater capacity for councillors to attend more meetings.

If the NSW Government wants to accomplish its stated diversity goals, including more women running for council, it needs to allow councils to move forward to enshrine the right to choose how they meet to accommodate the most diverse and truly representative voice of their community

The consultation paper is available on OLG’s website. We are continuing to advocate for change but it is important you make your voice hear. Make sure you weigh in.

Local Government should get a seat at National Cabinet
Ever since the Commonwealth Government decided to replace COAG (Council of Australian Governments) with a National Cabinet last May, councils have been without a voice at the national table.

It’s completely unacceptable and could not have happened at a worse time, with councils having to deal with immediate economic impacts on their communities as well as devastating border closures of the COVID-19 outbreak.

LGNSW, along with other State associations, individual councils across Australia and the Australian Local Government Association, have been consistently pushing for National Cabinet to include a seat for local government representation, just like they had in the COAG days.

While that push continues, it is pleasing that this week Federal Opposition Labor leader Anthony Albanese promised to include local government in National Cabinet should the ALP win the next federal election.

This is a significant step forward that will help progress this important goal. I thank all the councils who have individually written to the Australian Government, and also want to acknowledge the 27 councils who have resolved to support the National Cabinet campaign:

Albury, Ballina, Bellingen Shire, Blacktown, Blue Mountains, Broken Hill, Canterbury Bankstown, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Cowra, Forbes Shire, Georges River, Glen Innes-Severn, Hilltops, Lachlan, Lake Macquarie, Liverpool City, Murrumbidgee, Narromine, Parramatta, Randwick, Shellharbour, Singleton, Strathfield, Temora Shire, Tenterfield, Willoughby City, Wollondilly.

Regional Cities New South Wales, a newly formed alliance of 15 regional councils, has also written to me to advise of its support for our campaign.

We will continue our campaign to make it happen. The longer we wait, the more we risk leaving some local communities and regions behind as well as prolonging Australia’s journey to full economic recovery.

International Women’s Day Lunch
This year’s LGNSW International Women’s Day Lunch was a huge success, with more than 350 guests attending – our largest crowd yet.

Our guest speaker, Walkley Award-winning journalist Annabel Crabb, was amazing and inspired the audience with stories of female trailblazers such as Joan Pilone, the first woman to serve on Sydney City Council back in in 1965.

Back then, there weren’t even toilets in Town Hall for female aldermen!

Thanks to Joan’s efforts and many like her, we have come a long way. But we still have a long way to go.

I am proud of LGNSW efforts to improve on female representation on councils through our advocacy efforts with the NSW Government. A recent win was helping secure $150,000 funding to support workshops and training for women candidates.

Our push for changes to Model Code of Meeting practice that would allow attendance to council meetings via audio visual link will also assist both women and men who may be unable to attend in person due to work or carer commitments.

Thank you to all staff and people who attended for making the day such an outstanding success.

Koala conservation
This week the NSW Government announced an updated 2021 Koala State Environment Protection Policy.

LGNSW is deeply concerned about a lack of consultation with councils around these new koala regulations, which come at a time when the Inquiry into the Local Land Services Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2020 is still being undertaken.

The inquiry specifically indicates that ‘the committee is interested to find out the community’s views on the operation and effectiveness of the 1994 and 2019 Koala SEPPs in protecting koalas and their habitat as well as local government’s ability to manage koala populations and koala plans of management’.

Why ring in changes before councils and others have a chance to put their views through the LLS inquiry?

Councils are committed to supporting and protecting healthy and resilient local environments and are concerned about changes to dual consent provisions for private native forestry and the erosion of their ability to plan for their area and protect core koala habitat.

LGNSW President Cr Linda Scott and Annabel Crabb at the LGNSW 2021 International Women's Day lunch

Annabel Crabb speaking at the 2021 LGNSW International Women's Day lunch.

Annabel Crabb speaks to one of the guests at the LGNSW 2021 International Women's Day lunch.

Guests give Annabel Crabb their full attention during her speech at the 2021 International Women's Day lunch.

LGNSW hosted more than 300 guests at its 2021 International Women's Day lunch.

Table 8 enjoyed the food, networking opportunity and of course the speech by guest speaker Annabel Crab at LGNSW's 2021 International Women's Day lunch.

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