The issue: proposed recording of council meetings In Western Australia there has been a long running debate on the question of whether Council meetings should be streamed live online, with the recordings being made available to electors by uploading to the local...

Introduction Sections 5.65 and 5.67 of the Local Government Act 1995 (WA) (LG Act) leave local government Council or committee members in no doubt that if they have a s.5.60 financial interest in a matter before the Council, they must disclose the nature of the...

In an interview on the ABC’s 720AM morning program on 10 February 2015, the Premier, in confirming that he was ‘surrendering’ on the program of local government reform (save for his City of Perth proposals), also said that people should remember that local government...

In Minister for Local Government and City of Greater Geraldton [2014] WASAT 116, the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) quashed differential rates imposed by the Cities of Fremantle and Greater Geraldton on ‘derelict properties’. Section 6.33(1) of the Local...

Introduction Freedom of political communication is often raised in the context of local laws controlling activities in public places. The High Court of Australia has recognised since 1992, that the Australian Constitution embodies an implied freedom of political...