Major changes to council meeting rules — including the removal of public address (forum) and pre-meeting briefings for councillors — may be reversed after a motion to disallow new overarching regulations passed in NSW Parliament this week.
The Local Government (General) Amendment (Model Code of Meeting Practice) Regulation 2025 was introduced to councils across the state in January. Northern Beaches Council made several changes to its meeting code ahead of that deadline, including removing the ability for residents to address councillors at council meetings (often referred to as public forum), banning signs and placards in the chamber, prohibiting staff from briefing councillors on agenda items before meetings, and restricting councillors from attending via video link except for medical/health reasons.
Our previous coverage of those changes is here.
The rewritten Model Meeting Code was disallowed by a coalition of Liberals, Nationals and Greens, who argued the new rules were unfit for purpose and too restrictive. The motion passed in the NSW Legislative Council on Tuesday evening.
Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig issued a statement on Wednesday calling the disallowance a “political game” that would allow councils to hold “secretive private briefing sessions”.
Councillors, however, have argued that pre-meeting briefing sessions were a critical opportunity to ask technical questions and understand complex matters before voting. The video-link restrictions also created difficulties for councillors who travel for work or have family commitments; the role is typically held alongside full-time employment and is paid a moderate fee.
The removal of public forum at council meetings drew significant criticism when first flagged in late 2025, particularly from local Libertarian groups and regular forum attendees.
Council will now need to revisit its meeting code at its June council meeting, which could result in the reinstatement of both pre-meeting briefings and public address during meetings. A council spokesperson confirmed today that the 16 June meeting will proceed under the current format, with the separated public forum session going ahead a week earlier, on 9 June.
“We will work with the Office of Local Government through the broader implications of the Model Code’s disallowance and will provide further advice shortly,” a council spokesperson said.
