The Code of Meeting Practice provides a framework that supports the principles of transparent and accountable decision making. The Office of Local Government (OLG) prescribes a model Code, which provides a uniform set of meeting rules for councils across NSW.
On 29 August 2025, the (OLG) released Circular 25-20 ‘Model Meeting Code’, which prescribed a new model Code of Meeting Practice. All Councils must adopt a Code which incorporates the new model provisions by 31 December 2025.
Key revisions to the Code of Meeting Practice are:
prohibition of pre-meeting briefing sessions for items of business that are listed on an agenda of a council or council committee meeting
public forums, if held, are required to be held outside of a meeting
restricting remote attendance by councillors at meetings to only when they are prevented from attending in person because of ill-health; other medical reasons or unforeseen caring responsibilities
removing restrictions on mayoral minutes, now allowing a mayoral minute to be tabled on any matter or topic that the mayor determines should be considered at the meeting
where the council or a council committee makes a planning decision that is inconsistent with the recommendation made in a staff report, it must provide reasons for its decision and why it did not adopt the staff recommendation
updates to processes for dealing with disorder at meetings:
Updated definitions, including reference to the Legislative Assembly
Requirements for councillors to remedy an act of disorder and powers for the chairperson to expel a councillor for failing to do so
Ability to expel a member of the public for engaging in disorderly conduct
requirement for confidential business papers to be published as soon as practicable after the information contained in the business papers ceases to be confidential.
Public Forum Policy
The Public Forum Policy provides members of the community with the relevant process and procedures for addressing Council on items to be considered at Ordinary Council Meetings or Extraordinary Council Meetings.
Key revisions to the Public Forum Policy are:
requirement that Public Forums will be held at 6pm immediately prior to a Council Meeting, instead of during a meeting
requirement that all Public Forums will be livestreamed
new requirement that, by 12pm on the day of a Public Forum, councillors be advised of the list of speakers and Items of Business to be spoken on.
Have your say
We are seeking feedback from our community on the code and policy until 24 November 2025:
in writing to Sutherland Shire Council, Governance Team, Locked Bag 17, Sutherland 1499.
Next steps
Following community consultation, Council will review and consider all feedback. Some changes may be made. The code/policy will then be finalised and reported to Council for adoption. We will keep interested members of the community updated.
Consultation period: 14 October 2025 - 24 November 2025
Council has reviewed and updated the following code and policy and would like your feedback:
The Code of Meeting Practice provides a framework that supports the principles of transparent and accountable decision making. The Office of Local Government (OLG) prescribes a model Code, which provides a uniform set of meeting rules for councils across NSW.
On 29 August 2025, the (OLG) released Circular 25-20 ‘Model Meeting Code’, which prescribed a new model Code of Meeting Practice. All Councils must adopt a Code which incorporates the new model provisions by 31 December 2025.
Key revisions to the Code of Meeting Practice are:
prohibition of pre-meeting briefing sessions for items of business that are listed on an agenda of a council or council committee meeting
public forums, if held, are required to be held outside of a meeting
restricting remote attendance by councillors at meetings to only when they are prevented from attending in person because of ill-health; other medical reasons or unforeseen caring responsibilities
removing restrictions on mayoral minutes, now allowing a mayoral minute to be tabled on any matter or topic that the mayor determines should be considered at the meeting
where the council or a council committee makes a planning decision that is inconsistent with the recommendation made in a staff report, it must provide reasons for its decision and why it did not adopt the staff recommendation
updates to processes for dealing with disorder at meetings:
Updated definitions, including reference to the Legislative Assembly
Requirements for councillors to remedy an act of disorder and powers for the chairperson to expel a councillor for failing to do so
Ability to expel a member of the public for engaging in disorderly conduct
requirement for confidential business papers to be published as soon as practicable after the information contained in the business papers ceases to be confidential.
Public Forum Policy
The Public Forum Policy provides members of the community with the relevant process and procedures for addressing Council on items to be considered at Ordinary Council Meetings or Extraordinary Council Meetings.
Key revisions to the Public Forum Policy are:
requirement that Public Forums will be held at 6pm immediately prior to a Council Meeting, instead of during a meeting
requirement that all Public Forums will be livestreamed
new requirement that, by 12pm on the day of a Public Forum, councillors be advised of the list of speakers and Items of Business to be spoken on.
Have your say
We are seeking feedback from our community on the code and policy until 24 November 2025:
in writing to Sutherland Shire Council, Governance Team, Locked Bag 17, Sutherland 1499.
Next steps
Following community consultation, Council will review and consider all feedback. Some changes may be made. The code/policy will then be finalised and reported to Council for adoption. We will keep interested members of the community updated.
Thank you to everyone who provided feedback on the Code of Meeting Practice and/or Public Forum Policy review.
During the consultation period we received 100 visits to the Join the Conversation website page, 3 survey submissions for the Code of Meeting Practice and 2 survey submissions for the Public Forum Policy.
Council officers have reviewed and considered all feedback received. The draft Code and Policy will now be tabled to the 15 December 2025 Council Meeting for consideration and adoption. Business Papers for the Meeting will be published to the website on 8 December 2025 and will be available here.
