Media Release – 28 November 2024

BILL 181 PASSED BY WA STATE GOVERNMENT

ALREADY COMPROMISED EM WHISTLEBLOWER SAFETY BLOWN UP BY WA PARLIAMENT 

Local Government Amendment Bill 2024, not supported by evidence, public submissions or the public interest in LG good governance, but supported by LG Minister, DLGSC, WALGA and LG Pro (on the face of it in CEO interests) has now been enacted by parliament.

Chair, Sandra Boulter said “LGEMA has been watching closely, and has tried to raise awareness of the implications of Bill 181, to try and stop its passing. We however regret to inform members that its progression has been pushed through in what we believe is a sad day for elected members”. 

Read the Media Release here:

LGEMA 2024 AGM & 2024 FORUM THREE

Featured

Local Government EM Workplace Safety & Enforceable CEO KPIs
(Elected Members can become LGEMA members on the day)

Date: Sunday 21 July 2024 – Time 12.15pm – 4pm –
Forum Venue: The Grove Library, 1 Leake St, Peppermint Grove, WA, 6011

 PROGRAM
12.15 pm Registration and lunch
Members, associate members and invited guests welcome

LGEMA AGM
1pm LGEMA AGM
Guest Speaker: Brian Walker MLC Support, not Censure: Assisting Local Government from Within the State Parliament

LGEMA FORUM
2pm:  Work health and safety in the local government context
WorkSafe Commissioner Sally North

3pm: CEO Contracts and Enforceable KPIs:
Mills Oakley Lawyers

see the full agenda here  (pdf 345kb)

Local Government Audit and Risk Forum

Featured

LGEMA are delighted to announce that we have WA’s Office of the Auditor General (OAG) Assistant Auditor to talk to us about Local Government Audits and an expert to talk to us about how financial information should be reported to Council.

Book online @ https://www.trybooking.com/CRNAB

Date: Sunday 26 May 2024
Time 12.15pm – 4pm
Venue: The Grove Library, 1 Leake St, Peppermint Grove, WA, 6011
Travel and Parking: Close to Cottesloe Train Station & Stirling Highway bus routes; free parking under Grove library after 12MD; Woolworths carpark opposite library on Leake St; Cottesloe train station.

Cost: $30 (for catering, venue hire)
RSVP: lgema@iinet.net.au

Forum:
• 12.15 pm: Registrations and Lunch
• 1pm: Susan Smith CA from Quantum Assurance “ Reporting User Friendly Financial
Information to Council”
• 2pm: Grant Robinson, Assistant WA Auditor General “Local Government Audits”
• 3pm: Sandy Boulter LGEMA Chair “Audit Committees”
• Q & A Session
• 3.45pm close

Join us for drinks afterwards at the historic Albion Hotel

JOIN FORMER AND CURRENT ELECTED MEMBERS TO TALK ABOUT PRACTICAL CHALLENGES IN NAVIGATING LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUDIT AND RISK

Invitation (PDF 263kb)

 

AMENDMENTS TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1995 (WA)

The WA state parliament has passed amendments to the Local Government Act 1995 (WA) on 19 May 2023.

However, some amendments have not yet been proclaimed which means they are not yet operative.

The former version of the LG Act annotated with the adopted amendments in blue (some of which are proclaimed), so you can find the changes easily, is  here (pdf 2Mb)

The amendments, which have been proclaimed have been operative since 19 May 2023 and some since 1 July 2023 and are in the LG Act current as at 1 July 2023 here (https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au/legislation/statutes.nsf/main_mrtitle_551_homepage.html )

You can download a free copy of the newly amended Act  in pdf, or word (easier to copy bits from), versions from the website link above. If you download a word copy and search using catchword “2023”, you should find the changes which have been proclaimed.

We do not recommend buying hard copy until all the amendments have been proclaimed and are included in the Act (to purchase a copy you can click on the trolley icon beside the LG Act title, pay for it, and it will then be mailed to you).

Some of the regulations required to give substance to some of the provisions have been tabled. – some are operative and others are not.

Prudent Elected Members and Councils will familiarise themselves as a matter of urgency with changes to the practice and procedure for Local Government elections (not yet proclaimed but shown in the marked in blue copy here (pdf 2Mb)) , which will be held in October this year.

For some information about LG elections click here