The New South Wales Local Government Acts Taskforce has released its discussion paper on the proposed development of new local government legislation.

The A new Local Government Act of NSW discussion paper outlines how potential legislation and regulatory regimes can best be designed to provide the best framework for a long term sustainable local government sector in NSW.

State Local Government Minister, Don Page, welcomed the release of the discussion paper, saying it represents a significant step in the formation of crucial legislation.

“The public release of the Discussion Paper signals the beginning of the second stage of the consultation process established by the Taskforce to deliver a new Local Government Act that will guide the way local councils will operate into the future,” Mr Page said.

“It is now over to the NSW community, who will now get a further chance to have their say on these important proposals for a new local government framework for the State.”

The Discussion Paper explores major areas of reform including what should be the guiding role and principles for local government, the strategic framework, and how council operations can achieve maximum efficiency.

Proposals by the Taskforce include:

  • Integrated planning and reporting
  • Greater use of technology
  • Streamlining of public land management 
  • Simplification of approvals, orders and enforcement
  • Revised procurement, capital expenditure framework and financial management

The discussion paper can be found here

More information on the Taskforce can be found here