LOCAL GOVERNMENT
(ADMINISTRATION) REGULATIONS 1996 — ELECTRONIC MEETINGS
1072. Hon Dr BRIAN WALKER to the Leader of the House
representing the Minister for Local Government:
I refer the minister to the
Emergency Management Amendment (Temporary COVID-19 Provisions) Act 2022, which
received assent on 21 October 2022.
(1) Upon
gazettal, will current access to the provisions contained in clause 14C of the
Local Government (Administration) Regulations 1996, which allow greater
flexibility to hold meetings electronically during a state of emergency, cease
to be immediately available to local governments?
(2) If no to (1),
for how long will these provisions remain available?
(3) Given that we are still working through COVID and
new strains are being reported around the globe, does the minister
propose to introduce any other mechanism, outside of a state of emergency, to
update the electronic meeting provisions in the act?
Hon SUE
ELLERY replied:
I thank the
honourable member for some notice of the question.
(1)–(3) The
government is working to transition the current provisions of the Local
Government (Administration) Regulations 1996 related to electronic meetings to
exist under the Emergency Management Amendment (Temporary COVID-19 Provisions)
Act 2022. As part of the McGowan government's local government reforms, permanent amendments for electronic
meetings are being progressed, as well as new requirements for the
live-streaming and recording of council meetings.