Governance Rules

Proposed updates to the City of Whittlesea Governance Rules were endorsed for community consultation at the Council Meeting on Tuesday 18 November 2025.

The Governance Rules set out the rules around meeting procedures, disclosure of conflicts of interest, elections and other matters for Council and are made in accordance with section 60 of the Local Government Act 2020.

Last updated in June 2024, the proposed updates to the Governance Rules are in response to the recent Commission of Inquiry report into the City of Whittlesea that was tabled in Parliament in October 2025 and other Council monitor recommendations.

Proposed changes to the Governance Rules

Proposed changes include an update to rule for Notices of Motion requiring that:

  • one third of the total number of Councillors must sign a Notice of Motion (up from one other Councillor). This same change is proposed for the Notice of Rescission Motion
  • a Notice of Motion can only call for an officer report to be presented at a future Councill Meeting
  • the CEO may reject any Notice of Motion not signed by one third of the total number of Councillors
  • a Councillor may only be a signatory for up to two submitted Notices of Motion for any meeting.

Other minor proposed changes include:

  • providing clarity when a mover of a motion can exercise a right of reply
  • providing clarity in relation to public questions, petitions and joint letters from the community.
  • increase to speaking times for Councillors and officers
Read the marked-up version showing proposed changes to Governance Rules open in new window