The 2025 Model Code of Meeting Practice for Local Councils in NSW (the 2025 Model Meeting Code) prescribes mandatory provisions for public forums. These permit councils to hold public forums prior to their meetings to hear oral submissions from members of the public on items of business to be considered at the meeting.
Councils are free to determine the rules under which public forums are to be conducted and when they are to be held, subject to the requirement that they are held before meetings.
The Office of Local Government (OLG) has developed these model best practice public forum rules to assist councils in the administration of public forums.
Comments related to the draft Policy are invited and can be submitted online by clicking the ‘Make a submission’ button below.
Submissions close 4pm, Friday 27 March 2026
Make a submission