Minister Gutwein
and his department are to be congratulated on this publication and the guidance
it provides to Tasmania's alderpersons and councillors. The guide's publication is timely!
For some time many
constituents in Tasmania have been confused about, and somewhat bemused by, the apparent
schisms between their understandings of local governance and the messages they have been getting
from 'their council'.
All so often councils looks like they belong to someone
else and for whatever reason it looks as tough ‘the council’ is doing someone else's
bidding.
The perception that “the tail is wagging the dog” is unhelpful and not conducive to good governance and good representational outcomes. The perception that councils’ operational wings are beyond the reach of functional accountability is not only unhelpful but it also poses a raft of uncomfortable questions.
This document
provides a reference that should clarify relationships between council
constituencies and local governance. CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE DOCUMENT ONLINE
The Good Governance Guide has been produced as a resource for
Tasmanian local government elected members. It aims to: help build a
better understanding of, promote and enhance good governance in
local government.
The 'guid' is founded on the premise that local government plays a critical role in Tasmania in that councils:
- help to build resilient communities;
- contribute to the development of a healthy environment; and
- promote local economies.
THE DOCUMENT'S CONTENTS – ABOUT GOOD GOVERNANCE ••••••• WHAT IS GOOD GOVERNANCE? ••••••• WHAT ARE THE MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD GOVERNANCE? ••••••• 8
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF GOOD GOVERNANCE? ••••••• 10
WHAT DOES GOOD GOVERNANCE MEAN IN PRACTICE? ••••••• 13
HIGH ETHICAL STANDARDS ••••••• 15
UNDERSTANDING YOUR ROLE ••••••• 24
BUILDING POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS ••••••• 41
EFFECTIVE STRATEGIC PLANNING AND MONITORING PERFORMANCE ••••••• 8
ROBUST RISK MANAGEMENT ••••••• 58
FAIR AND TRANSPARENT DECISION MAKING ••••••• 64
LEGISLATIVE COMPLIANCE ••••••• 83
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT ••••••• 84
PRACTICING GOOD GOVERNANCE? ••••••• 86
PRACTICING GOOD GOVERNANCE AS AN INDIVIDUAL ••••••• 88
PRACTICING GOOD GOVERNANCE AS A COUNCIL ••••••• 92
GOOD GOVERNANCE AND LAND-USE PLANNING ••••••• 97
YOUR ROLE AS PART OF A PLANNING AUTHORITY ••••••• 99
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PLANNING AUTHORITIES AND STAKEHOLDERS ••••••• 00
DECISION MAKING AS PART OF A PLANNING AUTHORITY ••••••• 101
COMPLYING WITH RELEVANT LEGISLATION ••••••• 103
STRATEGIC LAND-USE PLANNING ••••••• 104
SUMMARY OF LINKS AND RESOURCES ••••••• 105
FURTHER INFORMATION ••••••• 105
CONTRIBUTORS ••••••• 105 GLOSSARY
WHAT ARE THE MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD GOVERNANCE?
Good governance has eight major characteristics
1. Good governance is accountable
Accountability is a fundamental requirement of good governance. Local government has an
obligation to report, to explain and to be answerable for the consequences of decisions it has
made on behalf of the community it represents and serves.
2. Good governance is transparent
People should be able to follow and understand the decision making process. This means that
they are able to clearly see how and why a decision was made – what information, advice and
consultation a council considered, and which legislative requirements (when relevant) a council
followed.
3. Good governance is law-abiding
Decisions must be consistent with relevant legislation or common law, and be within the
powers of local government. In Tasmania, the principal legislation for local government is the
Local Government Act 1993 (the Act).
There are two sets of regulations relating to the Act which you should consult: the Local
Government (General) Regulations 2015 and the Local Government (Meeting Procedures)
Regulations 2015. The section on Legislative Compliance provides details of other relevant
legislation.
4. Good governance is responsive
Local government should always try to represent and serve the needs of the entire community
while balancing competing interests in a timely, appropriate and responsive manner.
5. Good governance is equitable
A community’s wellbeing depends on all of its members feeling that their interests have been
considered by their council in the decision making process. All groups, particularly the most
vulnerable, should have opportunities to participate in the decision making process, and all
groups should be treated equally by their council.
6. Good governance is participatory and inclusive
Anyone affected by, or interested in, a decision should have the opportunity to participate in
the process for making that decision. Participation can happen in several ways – community
members may be provided with information, asked for their opinion, given the opportunity to
make recommendations or, in some cases, be part of the actual decision making process.
7. Good governance is effective and efficient
Local government should implement decisions and follow processes that make the best use of
the available people, resources and time, to ensure the best possible results for their community.
8. Good governance is consensus oriented
Wherever possible, good governance involves taking into account the different views and
interests in a municipality to reach a majority position on what is in the best interests of the
whole community, and how it can be achieved.
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