Transparency at the heart of decision making

The City of Whittlesea’s updated Public Transparency Policy was presented at the Council Meeting on Tuesday 15 August, providing guidance on the information that is publicly available to members of the community.  

The policy, which was last updated in 2020, is a requirement under the Local Government Act 2020, and will be available for community to view and provide their feedback. 

Chair Administrator Lydia Wilson said Council understands the importance of transparency and openness in its decision-making and is committed to making as much information available to the public as possible. 

“We know that to build trust with the community we need to continue to be open and transparent in decision-making. We have almost halved the number of confidential items heard at Council meetings from 8.15 per cent in 2019 to 4.55 per cent in the last financial year,” Lydia said.  

“This policy also outlines how our community can easily access information such plans, policies and budgets as well as processes they may need to connect with us, for example to apply for grants or permits or to have their say on topics that are relevant to them.”  

The updated policy will be available for community comment until Friday 1 September 2023, before being presented at the September Council Meeting for endorsement.  

To view the policy and provide feedback, visit engage.whittlesea.vic.gov.au/publicpolicy.