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Publication guide for Lismore City Council

Council Structure

Lismore City Council is constituted under the Local Government Act 1993. The General Structure of Council is as follows;

Elected Council Representatives

General Manager

Council Organisation

Council adopted the following organisational structure in accordance with Section 333 of the Local Government Act 1993.

Council's Functions

Council's functions are contained within the Local Government Act 1993 and its Charter as outlined in the Act is as follows;

• to provide directly or on behalf of other levels of government, after due consultation, adequate, equitable and appropriate services and facilities for the community and to ensure that those services and facilities are managed efficiently and effectively
• to exercise community leadership
• to exercise its functions in a manner that is consistent with and actively promotes the principles of cultural diversity
• to promote and to provide and plan for the needs of children
• to properly manage, develop, protect, restore, enhance and conserve the environment of the area for which it is responsible, in a manner that is consistent with and promotes the principles of ecologically sustainable development
• to have regard to the long term and cumulative effects of its decisions
• to bear in mind that it is the custodian and trustee of public assets and to effectively account for and manage the assets for which it is responsible
• to facilitate the involvement of councillors, members of the public, users of facilities and services and council staff in the development, improvement and co-ordination of local government
• to raise funds for local purposes by the fair imposition of rates, charges and fees, by income earned from investments and, when appropriate, by borrowings and grants
• to keep the local community and the State government (and through it, the wider community) informed about its activities
• to ensure that, in the exercise of its regulatory functions, it acts consistently and without bias, particularly where an activity of the Council is affected
• to be a responsible employer.

Strategic Plan

Council Resources

Public Participation in Council's Policy Development

Lismore City Council has a total commitment to the philosophy of open Government and Council has adopted as policy that "Public Participation and involvement in decision making will be facilitated to the maximum extent possible".

To achieve this, Council has developed a number of mechanisms whereby the public can participate in the decision making process and be aware of matters before Council.

Public Question Time - Council Meeting

A public question time is held following Public Access at Ordinary Council meetings for 15 minutes on the following basis;

1. The person wishing to ask a question may during the time allocated for this item of business stand and upon being called by the chairperson shall give his/her name, address and the question that person desires to ask.

2. The chairperson has the right to require that the question be put in writing and the right to refuse to deal with any question.

3. A councillor who has been asked a question may call on an officer to assist in answering the question.

4. Any councillor or officer to whom a question is directed shall have the right to reply to a subsequent council meeting or to forward a written reply to the person asking the question.

Public Access Session at Council Meetings

1. A public access session is held prior to Ordinary and Special Council meetings commencing at 6pm.

2. Each speaker is limited to five minutes & may share his/her allocated five minutes with others should they wish to do so.

3. Each speaker shall not be limited to one topic but limited to matters listed on the business paper.

4. Argument for and against any matter on the agenda is to be restricted to one presentation each.

5. All requests shall be authorised by the General Manger and where at all possible shall be included in the business paper. Requests may be made up until the commencement of the Public Access Session prior to each Ordinary and Special Council meeting.

Public Contact Forum

1. Council has established Public Contact Forums consisting of six Councillors to increase the opportunity for the public to address Council.

2. At these Forums the public can address individual Councillors or the group on any issue of concern to them.

Advertisement of Council Meetings

All Council meetings are included in the Council's weekly advertisement, CityNews, specifying date, time and location of meetings including a listing of major public interest agenda items.

Supply of Council Business Papers

Council supplies Council meeting Business Papers to the public at its offices free of charge and offers a similar service by mail, subject to a postage and handling fee.

Copies are also available for the public to read at its Library and at the offices of the Nimbin News, Dunoon Gazette, all Rural General Stores, the Nimbin Neighbourhood Centre, University Library and also can be located on the Lismore City Council Web page on the internet. (www.lismore.nsw.gov.au).

Advertising

Council is required under various legislation to advertise proposals and call for public comment. Such advertisements are placed in Council's weekly CityNews which appears in a local newspaper of wide circulation.

Councillor Interviews

Council conducts Councillor Interview on the first and third Monday of each month. The interviews are conducted by two (2) Councillors at 5.30pm.

Council also conducts CBD interviews on the second Thursday of each month commencing at 12:30pm.

Interview appointments can be made by contacting the Council, phone: 1300 87 83 87.

Council Committees

Council operates a number of committees which contain citizen members.

Council advertises such membership after each quadrennial Council election.

The Public is able to attend meetings of these Committees and address the Committee at its invitation.

A list of forthcoming Council Committee meetings is published weekly in Council's newsletter.

In addition to the above, Council is committed to providing the community the opportunity to have input into all decisions that effect them. The process is outlined in the Community Engagement Practical Guide.

Documents Available

The following list of documents are available for inspection free of charge as required by the Government Information (Public Access) (GIPA) Act 2009. They represent the type of documents available.

• Disclosure Log of Applications Government Information (Public Access) Act
• Code of Conduct
• Code of Meeting Practice
• Corporate /Management / Financial Plan
• Contribution Plan Lismore March 2004 - Section 94 includes:
  • Open Space
  • Community Facilities
  • Transport
  • State Emergency Services
  • Rural Fire Services
• Delegations of Authority
• Disaster Plan/Emergency Management Plan/Emergency Services Policy
• Equal Employment Opportunity Management Plan
• Employment Related Codes
• Expenses & Facilities Policy
• Fence Policy/Code
• Internal Reporting Policy
• Local Approvals Policy
• Local Orders Policy
• Minutes of Committee Meetings
• Minutes of Council Meetings
• Plans of Land Proposed to be Compulsorily Acquired By Council (see Just Terms Comp. Act 1991)
• Plans of Management for Community Lands -
  • Public Land
  • Lismore Park 
  • Heritage Park
  • Tucki Tucki Creek 
  • Weston Park
  • Hepburn Park
  • Kadina Park
  • Adam Gilchrist Park
  • Lismore Lake
  • Sportsground (generic)  
• Policy Register
• Pricing Policy / Revenue Policy
• Privacy Management Plan
• Procedures Manual
• Records Procedures
• Recycling Policy
• Social Impact Assessment Policy
• State of the Environment Report
• Community & Social Plan
• Local Orders Policy / Guidelines for the Keeping of Animals for Domestic Purposes
• Local Orders Policy for the Practice of Hairdressing
• Code of Conduct - City Safe Program
• Landfill Environmental Management Plan - LEMP - Wyrallah Road Waste Facility
• Contaminated Lands Policy
• Landscape Guidelines
• Lismore Urban Strategy
• Village Strategy
• Lismore Floodplain Management Plan
   

The Lismore Development Control Plan

Part A of the Lismore Development Control Plan applies to particular forms or aspects of development generally throughout Lismore. Part B contains more specific controls that are applicable to specific areas.

Lismore Local Environmental Plan 2000

Community Services & Facilities Plans

Community Engagement Practical Guide

OTHER DOCUMENTS

General Specifications

- Road & Drainage Works

- Sewerage Requirements

- Water Reticulation

- Statement of Accounts

Approvals, Orders & other documents

Access and Amendment to Council Documents

Access to Council documents covered by the GIPA Act are available for inspection free of charge during Council's normal hours of business at its Administration Centre, 43 Oliver Avenue Goonellabah.

Click here to download the Informal Access Application Form

Many documents are made available on Councils web site at www.lismore.nsw.gov.au

Requests for other material should be made in the first instance to the Public Officer on 1300 87 83 87 and may require a formal written application to be submitted under the GIPA Act. If so fees will apply and details of these are available from the Public Officer.

Freedom of Information Application (32Kb)

Contact Arrangements

Mr Graeme Wilson
Public Officer
Lismore City Council
PO Box 23A
LISMORE NSW 2480

Phone: 1300 87 83 87