CEO recruitment
At last night's meeting, Council resolved to restart the recruitment process for a new CEO. The role will be advertised immediately.
All going well the shortlisting, interviews etc. and the appointment will be completed by Christmas. If this timeframe is met, Council will have a new CEO in the New Year.
Code of Meeting Practice
Council will place the draft Code of Meeting Practice (Strategic Policy ST02) on public exhibition for at least 28 days. The current meeting format will stay the same with Council meetings every 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month at 6.30pm, but the updated policy includes mandatory provisions from the Office of Local Government, such as rules for Councillors attending meetings online, banning of pre-meeting briefings and livestreaming public forums.
The Code of Meeting Practice will return to Council in December for adoption and must be in place by 31 December 2025.
Planning system reforms
Last night Cr Mallard expressed concern about the new Environmental Planning and Assessment (Planning System Reforms) Bill 2025. In his opinion, the Bill reduces local council control over planning decisions, lowers transparency, and limits community input, which could increase the risk of corruption.
Council passed a motion to write to the Premier, opposition leaders, relevant Ministers, and our local Member to oppose the Bill in its current form and ask for proper public consultation.
Council will also write to the President and CEO of Local Government NSW to say that their recent support for the Bill does not match their policies and was made without consulting their Board.
Finally, Council will work with the Central NSW Joint Organisation to coordinate a united response against these reforms.
Councillor Attendance at External Events
Council considered a Notice of Rescission seeking to overturn the previous decision made on 7 October 2025 regarding councillor attendance at external events. The rescission motion was not carried, meaning the original resolution remains in place. The existing rules limiting how many Councillors can attend external events, requiring post-attendance reports, and updating the related policy on councillor expenses and facilities will continue to apply.
