A policy that supports Moira Shire Council in its ongoing drive for good governance and the importance of open and accountable conduct has been reviewed.
The Public Transparency Policy was adopted on August 26 2020 as part of the Local Government Act 2020 which requires council to adopt and maintain a Public Transparency Policy which supports how council information is to be made publicly available.
As part of the act, the policy was to be reviewed in line with the scheduled review period with several amendments made including: the Inclusion of Administrators; Confidential Information definition expanded; New section inserted ‘Inform and engage with the community’. This section enhances on how council informs and engages with the community on various ways to participate in council decision-making and Public Interest Test – consideration of possible harm from releasing information has been further defined.
The policy states that council will be transparent with:
•Decision-making at council meetings
• Will be informed through community engagement, views and responses, in accordance with community engagement principles defined in the Community Engagement Policy.
• Will be informed by:
- A council report that details factual and evidence-based-information that has guided the officer recommendation provided in the agenda for the council meeting.
- Council debate during the meeting which is open to the community or can be viewed on the livestream (and available as a recording on council's website).
• Will be conducted in open meetings, unless in accordance with the provisions in the Act and Governance Rules.
• Will be undertaken in accordance with the Act, including the Governance Rules and other legislation.
• Will be made fairly and on merit, and where any person whose rights will be directly affected by a decision of the council, that person will be entitled to communicate their views and have their interests considered.
Council is also required to inform and engage with the community on council informs, and engages with its community on the various ways they may participate in council decision-making, including but are not limited to:
• Direct mail to residents
• Information sessions
• Invitations for submissions
• Online surveys
• Onsite meetings
• Planning consultation forums
• Public meetings
• Council and community member panels provision of drafts and exhibits for public comments
• Public question time at council meetings
• Public presentations at council meetings
• Community newsletter
• Community updates in local newspapers
Council records will, at a minimum, be available on Council's website including:
• Council and Delegated Committee meeting agendas and minutes;
• Reports from Advisory Committees to Council
• Audit and Risk Committee Performance Reporting; Terms of reference or charters for Advisory Committees;
• Local Laws made by Council;
• Registers of gifts, benefits and hospitality offered to Councillors/Administrators or Council Staff;
• Registers of travel undertaken by Councillors/Administrators or Council Staff;
• Registers of Conflicts of Interest disclosed by Councillors/Administrators or Council Staff;
• Submissions made by Council to State or Federal processes;
• Registers of donations and grants made by Council;
• Memorandums of Understanding entered into by Council that are not subject to confidentiality clauses;
• Registers of leases entered into by Council, as lessor and lessee; * Register of Delegations;
• Register of Authorised officers;
• Register of Election campaign donations;
• Summary of Personal Interests under section 135(1) of the Act; and
• Any other Registers or Records required by legislation or determined to be in the public interest.
Information will be made available and maintained on the council website, open data, at council offices, or by request.
Members of the public can make different kinds of information requests to the council (e.g. informal requests for documents and information or formal FOl requests).
Information requested to be released will be assessed with regard to confidentiality in accordance with the Act and public interest test where appropriate.
Moira Shire Council Administrator Suzanna Sheed said this is a very important policy which is going through a review cycle through a process to update.
“This is just to ensure that the shire has the policies in place to ensure good practice throughout and public transparency is obviously an important issue as well.”
Chair Administrator Graeme Emonson added that transparency is the bedrock of good governance.
“This is a very public commitment of the level of transparency that we expect to bring to the matters that come before us and through our operations,” Mr Emonson said.
“We are very pleased to see this one carried in council.”