COUNCILLORS’ CODE OF CONDUCT (CNCL6) Submitting Councillor: The Mayor MOTION That Council: Resolves to adopt the significantly revised Councillor Code of Conduct (Code) which is attached to this Notice of Motion. Notes that as well as providing for all matters which a Council must include in the Code following recent amendments to the Local Government Act 1989 (Act), the attached draft has been specifically changed from the model code recommended by the Municipal Association of Victoria to focus on Council achieving significant improvement in the standard of behaviour of councillors at Council meetings. Expressly identifies the following matters as requiring a particular focus which this new Code is intended to specifically address: the unreasonable behaviour of a small number of Councillors and the need for all councillors to: observe the requirements of Council’s Local Law No 1 on Meeting Procedures (Local Law No 1); and abide by and follow the requests, directions or orders of the Chairperson; the finishing time of Council meetings, noting that the last three ordinary meetings of Council have finished unreasonably late at midnight, 3.00 am and 11.30 pm respectively; the rehashing of matters which have previously been largely considered by Council; the unreasonable and negative reflections on Council officers by a councillor; the making of Points of Order and the moving of Procedural Motions which are often presented in a disruptive, combative and aggressive way; the way that Conflicts of Interest are declared which sometimes do not include all of the matters required to be disclosed by the Act; the way that Councillor Reports are occasionally used unreasonably and unfairly to raise controversial matters which go further than reporting on an Advisory Committee of Council, an external body which the councillor has been appointed to by Council or the Councillor’s attendance or participation in a civic event or community event; and the process for making a Personal Explanation which often causes confusion.
COUNCILLORS’ CODE OF CONDUCT (CNCL6) Submitting Councillor: The Mayor MOTION That Council: Resolves to adopt the significantly revised Councillor Code of Conduct (Code) which is attached to this Notice of Motion. Notes that as well as providing for all matters which a Council must include in the Code following recent amendments to the Local Government Act 1989 (Act), the attached draft has been specifically changed from the model code recommended by the Municipal Association of Victoria to focus on Council achieving significant improvement in the standard of behaviour of councillors at Council meetings. Expressly identifies the following matters as requiring a particular focus which this new Code is intended to specifically address: the unreasonable behaviour of a small number of Councillors and the need for all councillors to: observe the requirements of Council’s Local Law No 1 on Meeting Procedures (Local Law No 1); and abide by and follow the requests, directions or orders of the Chairperson; the finishing time of Council meetings, noting that the last three ordinary meetings of Council have finished unreasonably late at midnight, 3.00 am and 11.30 pm respectively; the rehashing of matters which have previously been largely considered by Council; the unreasonable and negative reflections on Council officers by a councillor; the making of Points of Order and the moving of Procedural Motions which are often presented in a disruptive, combative and aggressive way; the way that Conflicts of Interest are declared which sometimes do not include all of the matters required to be disclosed by the Act; the way that Councillor Reports are occasionally used unreasonably and unfairly to raise controversial matters which go further than reporting on an Advisory Committee of Council, an external body which the councillor has been appointed to by Council or the Councillor’s attendance or participation in a civic event or community event; and the process for making a Personal Explanation which often causes confusion.
1-nom-crs-code-of-conduct.docx