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The Local Government Amendment Act 2024 (the Act), which advances a range of major reforms including the new Local Government Inspector, became law on 6 December 2024.

This delivers the second tranche of the WA Government’s landmark local government reforms — the biggest to the sector in more than 25 years.

A major component of the reforms is the new Local Government Inspector, who will have greater powers to oversee local governments in WA, with a focus on early intervention.

Work will continue to establish the Office of the Inspector and progress the supporting regulations.

Under the new system, specialised monitors will also work proactively with local governments requiring assistance or to resolve emerging issues before they escalate.

The Act also overhauls the current system of complaints, providing a much wider range of tools to deal with complaints when a breach or contravention of the Local Government Act 1995 may have occurred.

• Clarify the roles and responsibilities of mayors and presidents, councillors and local government CEOs.
• Require councils to adopt a rates and revenue policy to facilitate better financial planning and increase public transparency about rate increases.
• Widen the scope of audit, risk and improvement committees and ensure these committees have an independent chair and deputy who can be shared between smaller local governments.
• Require councils to document the reasons for closing part of a meeting to the public while reducing unnecessary instances of closed meetings.
• Facilitate the shared employment of local government CEOs and senior employees.
• Prevent council members who fail to complete mandatory training from receiving their allowances.
• Prevent inappropriate expenditure of ratepayer funds on council member personal legal expenses. 
• Modernise several arrangements including enabling superannuation payments for council members and streamlining the making of local laws.

These reforms have been developed through extensive work and public consultation since 2017.

As provided for in the Amendment Act, several sections take effect from 7 December 2024.

Fact sheets have been created with more information on:

• Reforms to governance and committees
• Local Government Inspector and Monitors
• New breach system

Visit the local government reform implementation webpage to stay up to date with the progress of these changes.

Local government reform webinar

10:00am to 12:00pm Thursday 19 December 2024

Learn more at our final reform webinar of 2024, where we’ll be joined by the Hon. Hannah Beazley MLA, Minister for Local Government.

Topics include the Local Government Amendment Act 2024, and other reform project updates.

Register online

Questions about the local government reforms can be directed to actreview@dlgsc.wa.gov.au