The City of Greater Geelong Council has adopted a Public Transparency Policy following a period of community consultation.
The Public Transparency Policy describes the way in which Council information is made publicly available and gives effect to the public transparency principles prescribed in the Local Government Act 2020 (the Act).
“A high level of transparency allowed people to better understand the reasoning in the decision-making process,” said Mayor, Peter Murrihy.
“Transparent decision making helps to foster an even more positive relationship between the Council and the City and the wider community.
“It also means the community can enjoy a greater sense of ownership over decisions that have been made by the Council and the City,” he said.
The Council says under the new Policy it will continue to:
- Conduct Council business in an open and transparent forum (unless otherwise provided in accordance with the provisions in the Act and Governance Rules);
- Inform the community via community engagement channels, in accordance with the Community Engagement Principles of the Act and the Community Engagement Policy;
- Ensure decisions are made fairly and on merit.
The policy also outlines circumstances in which some information will not be publicly released.
“It is vital that we build trust in the community and being open and accountable allows for fully informed engagement in the democratic process,” said C Jim Mason.
“We want to provide an opportunity for citizens to engage with decision making that directly affects them and their communities,” he said.
