The public consultation period runs from Thursday 19 October 2023 to Friday 10 November 2023
A council must, within 12 months after the conclusion of each periodic election (November 2022), review the operation of its code of practice, 18.63.1 Code of Practice - Access to Meetings & Documents, pursuant to section 92 (5) of the Local Government Act 1999 ('the Act').
A code of practice must include any mandatory provisions prescribed by the regulations and before a council adopts, alters or substitutes a code of practice under this section, undertake public consultation on the proposed code, alterations or substitute code.
The code of practice relates to the principles, policies, procedures and practices that Council will apply for the purposes of the operation of Chapter 6, Part 3 and Part 4 of 'the Act' (Part 3 - Public access to council and committee meetings and Part 4 - Minutes of council and committee meetings and release of documents).
Public access to council and committee meetings and documents is one of the primary means by which the community can gain access to information about the business of Council and Council Committees.
The Draft 18.63.1 Code of Practice - Access to Meetings & Documents includes information relating to:
- access to the agenda for meetings
- public access to meetings
- the process to exclude the public from meetings
- matters for which the Council, or a Council Committee, can order that the public be excluded
- how the Council will approach the use of the confidentiality provisions in the Act
- public access to documents, including minutes
- review of confidentiality orders
- accountability and reporting to the community, and the availability of the Code of Practice, and
- grievances about the use of the Code of Practice by Council.
The community were given the opportuniy to make a written submission on the revised code of practice from Thursday 19 October until 5pm on Friday 10 November 2023.
The Draft 18.63.1 Code of Practice - Access to Meetings & Documents was available in the Key Documents section on the right.
Hardcopies of the Draft Code of Practice were also available during normal business hours at:
Council Administration Office
Level One, Civic Centre
60 Tasman Terrace, Port Lincoln
and
Port Lincoln Library
2 London Street, Port Lincoln