LGEMA - Local Government Elected Members Association

LG Audit Risk and Improvement Committee (ARIC)

ARIC established to audit LG administration performance, and Council oversight of that performance.

Accordingly:
• CEOs, all employees have conflict of interest in ARICs.
• CEOs, all employees prohibited from being members of or influencing ARIC membership.

Prudent Council ARIC Charter or policy will:
• Require all correspondence from OAG or any OAG contractor to be forwarded immediately to the ARIC Chair and Mayor/President.
• Prohibit CEO or any employee being present at the table of a ARIC meeting.
• Prohibit CEO or any employee being present at an ARIC meeting unless invited.

FROM OAG
1. WA Auditor primary resource for ARIC best practice: Western Australian Public Sector Audit Committees – Better Practice Guide which covers:
• Committee structure, roles, and responsibilities
• Risk management and internal controls
• Effective relationships with internal and external auditors

2. Suite of Better practice guidance and toolkits, including specific resources for LG financial reporting, policy and accounting

3. 8 June 2026 — LG Alerts for financial reporting: LG guidance: undertaking next prescribed budget review.

4. 23 August 2023 OAG Recommendation: Encouraged LG entities to use OAG better practice guidance to improve quality and efficiency in preparing annual budgets.

Public Queston Time (PQT) Restrictions

A Standing Order requiring advance notice of public question for the question to be put is arguably invalid.

Regulations require that, “Each member of the public who wishes to ask a question at a meeting … to be given an equal and fair opportunity to ask the question and receive a response”.

Such a requirement would be inconsistent with the LG Act PQT objectives, and improperly inserts the CEO between Council and its community. Council meetings are public meetings to engage the community with their EMs in decision making process, thus fostering the LG Act intention of greater community participation in LG decisions, which is frustrated by such a restriction.

Any person can write to WA parliament's Joint Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation to complain about this. LGEMA can help members with complaint drafting.