NSW Minister for Local Government, Leader of the House, Ron Hoenig has called for more transparency in local government during the NSW Local Government Conference in Tamworth this week.
In his opening speech, Minister Hoenig outlined his planned reforms for council governance, calling for more transparency in local government, more realistic assessment of government assets, and fewer constraints on mayors and councillors by public servants.
“You should not have bureaucrats sitting in judgement of elected officials,” Minister Hoenig said – to the applause of the gathered councillors, and called the Local Government Code of Conduct “ridiculous”.
Minister Hoenig also stated that he was working on reforms using the briefings and briefing documents, opening up these otherwise closed instruments to the scrutiny of the public and involved industries, as they were often used to avoid “not just the law” around council transparency, but also “the spirit of the law”.
Among his other plans for reform were changing how council assets were assessed, saying that it’s no use to consider a council asset for financial purposes if you’re not able to sell it.
Hoenig also wished to see councils as employers of choice, citing the “quarter of a billion dollars” he had managed to squeeze out of the Minns government for more trainees and apprentices at councils, wanting to see less reliance on contractors and subcontractors for council works.
Minister Hoenig was approached about the high rate of informal ballots at the most recent local government elections that the New England Times has been investigating but declined to comment.
The Local Government NSW Conference kicked off on Sunday, with mayors, councillors, and local government workers all hitting the Tamworth Regional Entertainment Centre for the local government’s biggest policy-making and networking event, and concludes on Wednesday, November 20.
The Conference heads to Penrith in 2025
Penrith is already gearing up for next year’s Local Government NSW (LGNSW) Annual Conference, with the city’s Mayor issuing a warm invitation to delegates at the close of this year’s successful event in Tamworth.
“I can’t wait to welcome conference delegates to Penrith,” said Penrith Mayor Todd Carney.
The 2025 LGNSW Annual Conference is scheduled to take place from 23 November to 25 November. Registrations will open in July 2025.
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