Elected member resources

Professional development for elected members

All elected members are required to complete professional development courses on their responsibilities and to support good governance within 12 months of being elected.

The six courses that make up the required foundation courses are listed below with introductory videos for information.

The Department of the Chief Minister and Cabinet currently provides these courses face-to-face to council members or via an online portal.

• Roles and responsibilities
• Code of Conduct
• Conflict of Interest
• Understanding Local Government
• Introduction to Council Finances
• Council decision making and meeting procedures

Conflict of interest

Conflicts of interest are important for all council members, local authority members, audit committee members and council committee members to understand when making decisions and recommendations. Under the Local Government Act 2019, it is a requirement for members to disclose if they have a conflict of interest and not participate in discussions or decisions if they have a conflict. The information sheet below outlines what a conflict of interest means, what to do if a member has a conflict of interest and some examples of possible conflicts.

• Conflict of interest information sheet PDF (706.0 KB)

Elected Member Handbook

The Elected Member Handbook PDF (6.3 MB) is a guide that provides assistance to you in your important role to be an effective representative, make good decisions and know your responsibilities.

Additional Resources

For additional elected member resources, visit the Local Government Resource Hub.