Approval Date: February 2024

Background

This Policy fulfils Council’s requirement to adopt and maintain a public transparency policy under section 57 of the Local Government Act 2020 (the Act), that gives effect to the Public Transparency Principles outlined in section 58 of the Act.

Objectives

The objectives of Council’s Public Transparency Policy are to:

1.1 Give effect to the public transparency principles contained in section 58 of the Act as follows:

• Council decision making processes must be transparent except when the Council is dealing with information that is confidential by virtue of this Act or any other Act;
• Council information must be publicly available unless:
  •    the information is confidential by virtue of this Act or any other Act; or
  •     public availability of the information would be contrary to the public interest;
• Council information must be understandable and accessible to members of the municipal community;
• Public awareness of the availability of Council information must be facilitated;

1.2 Describes the ways in which Council information is to be made publicly available; and

1.3 Specify which Council information must be publicly available.

The Policy is an integral part of how Council will achieve the overarching governance principles contained in section 9 of the Act.

Scope

This Policy applies to Councillors and Council Staff

Further information

View the full policy;