The Local Government Amendment Act 2023, assented to on Thursday 18 May, proposed changes to section 5.100 of the Local Government Act 1995 to provide for independent committee members to receive meeting fees.
An independent committee member is a committee member who is not a Council Member or an employee of the Local Government i.e. ‘other person’ as defined in s.5.9(1) of the Act.
The consequential amendments to the Regulations are expected to come into effect early in 2024. The provisions in the regulations for reimbursement of expenses will also be expanded to include mandatory reimbursement for prescribed expenses.
In anticipation of the amendments, the Salaries and Allowances Tribunal has issued a Determination to allow Local Governments to set appropriate meeting fees, within a specified range, to be paid to independent committee members.
Variation 3 (October 2023) provides a table of fees dependent upon Band and is linked here for your information.
Please direct any enquiries to James McGovern, Manager of Governance and Procurement at jmcgovern@walga.asn.au or call 9213 2093.
Acknowledgement of Country
WALGA acknowledges the continuing connection of Aboriginal people to Country, culture and community. We embrace the vast Aboriginal cultural diversity throughout Western Australia, including Boorloo (Perth), on the land of the Whadjuk Nyoongar People, where WALGA is located and we acknowledge and pay respect to Elders past and present.