Council Infrastructure

1439 The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light) (24 September 2019). Will council expenses be proactively and prominently disclosed to ratepayers, including through online databases which can be linked through social media platforms?

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL (Schubert—Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government, Minister for Planning): I have been advised the following—

The Reforming Local Government Discussion Paper proposes a number of reforms to achieve better disclosure of information about councils' revenue and expenditures for ratepayers. These include requirements to release simple information on rate increases when councils consult with their communities on their draft annual business plans, and also to include information about their salaries and benefits and expenditure on travel and other matters online.

It is essential that information about councils' finances and budget decisions are easily available and easily understood by both council members and communities, however, it is also important that this can occur without creating an undue administrative burden or increasing red tape for councils.