City calls for comment on revised governance rules

THE City of Greater Bendigo is inviting public feedback until Monday 17 November on revised governance rules that have been updated to align with a recent amendment to the Local Government Act 2020 in order to reflect current best practice standards.

The act requires every council to have governance rules, which outline how council decisions are made, how its meetings are run and how conflicts of interest should be handled.

The rules aim to help the City meet its requirements to ensure councillors and municipal staff act fairly and openly during meetings, when making decisions, and during election times.

They also aim to encourage constructive debate and good decision-making, guide how council uses its powers and does its work, set the steps for how council meetings are run, explain how the mayor and deputy-mayor are elected, give ways for council to hear what the community thinks, and include rules for how council must act during election times.

They cover how people should behave when attending a council meeting, and how to ask a public question at those meetings.

City director of corporate performance Angela Hays said they’re a vital part of how council operates transparently and responsibly.

“This review offers an important opportunity for the community to help shape the way council meetings are run,” she said.

“We encourage everyone to take a look and share their feedback on the City’s online engagement platform Let’s Talk (Greater Bendigo).”

To contribute, complete the survey on the Let’s Talk Greater Bendigo website.