Updated Code of Meeting Practice 2025

Share your thoughts on the updated Code of Meeting Practice

On 29 August 2025, the NSW Office of Local Government released the updated 2025 Model Code of Meeting Practice for Local Councils in NSW. Councils have until to 31 December to adopt a new Code of Meeting Practice that includes the mandatory rules of the Model Meeting Code.

Council resolved on 15 September 2025, to place on public online exhibition, an updated draft Code of Meeting Practice that incorporates the mandatory requirements of the recently updated Model Code of Meeting Practice.

What is the Code of Meeting Practice?

Well-run meetings are a sign of good governance. They show that the Council and its staff are working well together and making decisions in a fair and transparent way. Meeting rules help ensure decisions are made properly and that the community can see how and why decisions are made.

The Code of Meeting Practice sets the conditions for how Council meetings and certain Council committee meetings are run. It applies to all Council meetings and to committees made up entirely of Councillors. Other committees (with non-Councillor members) can set their own meeting conditions, unless Council decides otherwise.

Council must follow this Code when running meetings and it must include all the mandatory rules from the NSW Government Office of Local Government's Model Code of Meeting Practice. Extra rules can be added, but they must not go against the required ones. By law (under section 360 of the Local Government Act 1993), Council must adopt a Code of Meeting Practice that incorporates the provisions of the Model Code of Meeting Practice.

What has been changed?

A summary of the most significant changes to the Model Meeting Code that will impact on the operation of Council meetings are detailed in the Council Report. In summary:

• Extraordinary meetings - the Lord Mayor can call one without needing two Councillors’ signatures.
• Urgent business - can be considered without notice if all Councillors are present and urgency is resolved; if not, the Chairperson must also rule it urgent.
• Pre-meeting briefings - briefings cannot occur on agenda items between agenda publication and meeting; Councillors may request information from the General Manager on agenda items in this period, subject to no discussion and information also being made available to the public.
• Public forums - must be held before Council meetings and livestreamed.
• Audio-visual attendance by Councillors' - restricted to ill-health, medical reasons, or unforeseen caring duties.
• Livestreaming of Council meetings - mandatory from 1 Jan 2026; recordings must stay online for 12 months or the Council term, whichever is longer.
• Etiquette - Councillors and staff encouraged to stand when the Lord Mayor enters.
• Mayoral minutes - can be submitted without notice on any topic.
• Information considered at closed meetings - the General Manager must publish once no longer confidential, after consultation. Information will only be made public if the original reason for the information to be confidential is no longer required.
• Disorder - expanded definition includes offensive, unlawful, discriminatory, or disruptive behaviour. Non-compliance may lead to expulsion and fines up to $2,100.

The updated draft Code of Meeting Practice is on exhibition from Thursday 18 September 2025 to Thursday 30 October 2025 and can be viewed:

• At Council’s Customer Service Centre, Ground Floor Administration Building, 41 Burelli Street Wollongong, between 9am and 5pm weekdays
• Online via the Document Library