Model Code of Conduct and Procedures 2020

Section 440 of the Local Government Act 1993 (the Act) requires every council to adopt a code of conduct that incorporates the provisions of The Model Code of Conduct for Local Councils in NSW as published by the NSW Office of Local Government (OLG). The 2020 Model Code of Conduct for Local Councils in NSW and the associated Procedures for the Administration of the Model Code of Conduct for Local Councils in NSW were prescribed under the Local Government (General) Regulations 2005 in August 2020.

Eurobodalla Shire Council adopted the new Model Code of Conduct and Procedures at its Council Meeting on 22 September 2020 as its code of conduct, which are available from the NSW Office of Local Government website:

Councillors, Council employees and delegates of Council must comply with the applicable provisions of this code of conduct. Council contractors, committees, reserve trusts and volunteers are also required to observe the relevant provisions of the code of conduct. You can read our policy in relation to the code of conduct at the link below:

It is the personal responsibility of council officials to comply with the standards in this code and regularly review their personal circumstances with this in mind.

The objectives of the code and its associated procedures are to:

  • Enable council officials to uphold the highest standards of behaviour, to ensure communities have trust and confidence in local government.
  • Promote a clear guideline for the conduct of councillors, employees and relevant parties when acting as public officials of Council.
  • Make Council's requirements and procedures regarding its code of conduct readily accessible and understandable to the public.
  • Provide fair complaints management with flexibility to resolve less serious matters informally and strong sanctions to help deter ongoing disruptive behaviour and serious misconduct.

Code of conduct complaints

A code of conduct complaint is defined by the Office of Local Government as:

"A complaint that alleges conduct on the part of a council official acting in their official capacity that on its face, if proven, would constitute a breach of the standards of conduct prescribed under the council's code of conduct"

If you believe that the code of conduct has been breached by a councillor, member of staff (excluding the General Manager) or delegate of Council, the complaint should be reported to the General Manager in writing.

If you believe that the General Manager has breached the code of conduct, it should be reported to the Mayor in writing.

Please download and complete the code of conduct complaint form to submit a complaint:

Council complies with section 440AA of the Local Government Act 1993 by adopting the most current version of the OLG's Procedures for Administration of the Code of Conduct, as the procedure for administering our code of conduct. We follow the OLG's Procedures for the investigation of any alleged breaches of the Code.

More information