Have Your Say on Draft Governance Rules 2026

Baw Baw Shire Council is undertaking a review of its Governance Rules and is seeking feedback from the community on the proposed changes.  

A consultation period is now open and closes at 5pm on 19 June 2026. 

The Governance Rules support Council in ensuring good governance and decision-making in the best interests of the public by making clear the procedures of Council Meetings for the Mayor and Councillors, staff of Baw Baw Shire, and members of the community wishing to participate in this process. 

The Local Government Act 2020 requires Council to adopt and keep in force Governance Rules to govern its decision-making processes, while ensuring that any person whose rights will be directly affected by a decision of Council is entitled to communicate their views and have their interests considered.  

A number of changes have been proposed in the Draft Governance Rules 2026 that aim to: 

• strengthen Council’s governance practices and decision-making processes
• provide clear and more structured opportunities for community participation
• and ensure Council Meetings are operated effectively and efficiently.  

Based on consultation with Councillors at a Councillor Workshop in February 2026, a Councillor Briefing in April, and benchmarking of other Councils’ Governance Rules, a number of changes have been proposed in the Draft Governance Rules 2026. 

Key changes to the Rules include, but are not limited to:  

• Removal of General Business Motions and CEO General Business Motions;
• Removal of the extension of time provisions, and an increase in the maximum time duration of a Council Meeting;
• The introduction of limitations regarding Notices of Motion;
• The reduction of questions on notice able to be submitted by an individual from 5 to 3;
• Separation of verbal submissions on Planning Applications from the Council Meeting process;
• Introduction of a registration process and deadline for verbal submissions. 

Baw Baw Shire Mayor Councillor Kate Wilson is encouraging Baw Baw residents to read through the proposed documents and submit any feedback for consideration.  

“Council has a commitment to consistent accountability, fairness, and transparency in our governance practices, and the proposed updates to the Governance Rules reflect that.”  

“We welcome feedback from everyone to ensure that commitment is being understood and supported by our community, so I encourage you to have your say on the proposed changes.” 

The consultation period is now open, closing at 5pm on 19 June 2026. 

To have your say, your way, access and review the Draft Governance Rules on Council’s online engagement platform Baw Baw Connect by visiting this link:  https://www.bawbawconnect.com.au/governance-rules