New Model Code of Meeting Practice 2025 - Draft for Public Exhibition

Section 360 of the Local Government Act 1993 (NSW) prescribes that NSW Councils adopt and follows the Model Code of Meeting Practice developed and published by the Office of Local Government.

On Friday 29 August 2025, the NSW Office of Local Government (OLG) released the long-anticipated 2025 Model Code of Meeting Practice (COMP). OLG have also released a list of FAQs for councils. Council will be required to have its new COMP adopted by 31 December 2025, following a 28 day public exhibition period and a 42 day submission period (which run concurrently).

Therefore, at the Ordinary Council Meeting on Wednesday, 15 October 2025 Council endorsed for this document to be placed on Public Exhibition for a period of 28 days (until 5.00pm Thursday, 13 November 2025) with Submissions being accepted for a period of 42 days (until 5.00pm Thursday, 27 November 2025).

Submissions are to be posted to the General Manager, Narrabri Shire Council, PO Box 261, Narrabri, NSW, 2390 or emailed to the General Manager at council@narrabri.nsw.gov.au.

Council's draft COMP 2025 includes the following colours to demonstrate which discretionary clauses have been included:

Key Changes Between Model COMPs

In summary, the key changes between the old and new model COMPs are as follows:

• The Mayor may now call an Extraordinary Council Meeting without the need to obtain two Councillors' signatures (cl 3.3);
• The process for dealing with 'Matters of Great Urgency' has been simplified, however such matters can only be dealt with at Ordinary and Extraordinary Council Meetings where all Councillors are present (cl 9);
• Briefing sessions are now prohibited from being held to brief councillors on business listed on the agenda for Meetings of the council or committees of the council (cl 3.31);
• Public forum provisions are now mandatory and must be livestreamed (cl 4);
• The process for how and when Councillors may attend a meeting by AVL is mandated and limited to only being available where a councillor is prevented from attending in person due to health, medical reasons or unforeseen caring responsibilities (cl 5.19);
• Where a councillor has submitted an apology (which now must include reasons why) for not being able to attend a Meeting, the Council must resolve whether or not to grant that councillor a leave of absence and if not provide reasons why (cl 5.7);
• Livestreaming of Council and Committee Meetings are now mandatory (cl 5.36);
• The GM must consult with the Mayor when determining which staff may be present at Meetings (cl 5.45);
• Councils may determine standards of dress for councillors when attending Meetings (cl 5.2);
• Where physically able to, councillors and staff are encouraged to stand when the Mayor enters the chamber and when addressing the meeting (cl 7.1);
• Formalised all modes of address, including when referring to staff in a meeting but now be by their chosen prefix and surname (cls 7.2-7.6);
• A mayoral minute may be put to a meeting without notice on any matter or topic that the mayor determines should be considered prior to any other business at the meeting (cls 9.7-9.9);
• The rules of debate have been simplified (cl 10)
• The rules governing the foreshadowing of motions and amendments have been removed, councillors may still foreshadow that they intend to move an amendment during debate (cls 10.8-10.14);
• Councils will no longer have the option of reducing the duration of speeches to less than 5 minutes (cl 10.7);
• A council or a council committee must not make a final planning decision at a meeting without receiving a staff report containing an assessment and recommendation in relation to the matter put before the council for a decision (cl 11.12);
• Where the council or a council committee makes a planning decision that is inconsistent with the recommendation made in a staff report, it must provide reasons for its decision and why it did not adopt the staff recommendation (cl 11.13);
• The rules governing representations by the public on the closure of meetings have been removed to simplify members wishing to make such representations (14.9);
• The GM must publish business papers for items of business considered during meetings that have been closed to public on the council’s website as soon as practicable after the
  information contained in the business papers ceases to be confidential after they have consulted with the Council and any affected person (cl 14.19);
• Council must resolve at the adoption of this Code and at the commencement of each new Council Term whether to authorise the person presiding at a meeting to exercise a power of expulsion (cl15.5-15.17);
• The definition of acts of disorder by councillors have changed and now include the following (cl 15.10):
  • contravening the Act, the Regulation, or the council’s code of meeting practice;
  • assaulting, or threatening to assault, another councillor or person present at the meeting;
  • moving or attempting to move a motion or an amendment that has an unlawful purpose, or deals with a matter that is outside the jurisdiction of
    the council or committee or addressing or attempting to address the council or committee on or such a motion, amendment or matter;
  • using offensive or disorderly words;
  • making gestures or otherwise behaving in a way that is sexist, racist, homophobic or otherwise discriminatory, or if the behaviour occurred in the Legislative Assembly, would be considered disorderly;
  • imputing improper motives, or unfavourably personally reflecting, on another council official or a person present at the meeting; or
  • saying or doing anything that would promote disorder at the meeting or is otherwise inconsistent with maintaining order at the meeting.
• Where a councillor fails to remedy an act of disorder at a Meeting, they can be expelled from the meeting and each subsequent meeting until they comply (cl 15.14);
• Members of the public can be expelled from meetings for engaging in disorderly conduct, which includes (cl 15.19):
  • speaking at meetings without being invited to;
  • bringing flags, signs or protest symbols to meetings;
  • disrupting meetings; and
  • making unauthorised recordings of meetings.

The attached FAQ's provide detail on the above.