Councillor professional development

Attendance at conferences

Council has a commitment to continuing professional development for councillors. Attendance at sector conferences provides councillors with new skills and knowledge on particular issues to ensure they can perform their duties and represent residents to the best of their ability.

Conferences also provide the opportunity to network and advocate with councillors from other local government areas.

Councillors who attend training, seminars and conferences are to provide a detailed report to Council, following the Councillor Professional Development, Expenses and Facilities Policy. Councillors who do not meet the policy criteria without reasonable explanation may not receive priority or opportunities for future events.

More information is available in the policy:

2023 councillor delegate reports

Councillor training

Ongoing professional development for mayors and councillors is mandatory in NSW. It is an investment that will enhance the effectiveness of a council’s performance. Councillors have attended these training workshops since being elected in 2021:

  • Councillor onboarding
  • ICAC corruption training
  • Declaring conflicts of interest
  • Governance overview:
    • Code of Meeting Practice
    • Code of Conduct
  • Risk and Audit Risk and Improvement Committee
  • Financial management and project budget training
  • Privacy and confidentiality
  • Cultural awareness training
  • Diversity training
  • Social media training
  • Pre-election candidate sessions