The Draft Managing Conflict of Interest for Council-Related Development Policy will be on public exhibition from 20 May 2025 until 17 June 2025 and can be viewed at Council’s Offices in Coonabarabran and Coolah during normal business hours.
The existing Managing Conflicts of Interest for Council-related Development Policy was adopted by Council on 20 April 2023.
Council regularly lodges development applications (DA) as an applicant to complete its own projects and achieve outcomes for the community. This includes development for parks, sporting facilities, administration buildings etc., as well as commercial proposals. This dual role is common in local government.
The NSW Ombudsman has recognised that councils often rely on informal and ad hoc processes and procedures to deal with council-related development and was concerned that many councils did not have documented procedures to follow when they were assessing and regulating their own DAs.
In addressing these concerns, the Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) introduced changes to ensure the planning system remains transparent and accountable, via changing the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2021 (EP&A Reg) requiring councils to:
- have a formal policy that sets out how they manage any potential conflicts of interest that may arise in relation to council-related development.
- publicly communicate any management approach that the council will implement (if any) for each development.
Some ways recommended for managing potential conflicts of interest are:
- ensure strict role separation within council between assessment staff and project teams
- use an external consultant to complete the development assessment
- enter into a shared service agreement with a neighbouring Council for the assessment and compliance of a particular development
- use a local planning panel or a regional panel
- engage a private certifier for certification activities
Council encourages residents to view the exhibition material as some proposed changes may affect you.
Written submissions are invited from members of the public and should be addressed to the General Manager, PO Box 191, Coonabarabran NSW 2357 or by emailing info@warrumbungle.nsw.gov.au. Submissions can also be made through the online form below; The deadline for submissions is 4.30pm, 17 June 2025.