• About Good Governance
• What does good governance mean in practice?
  • High ethical standards
  • Understanding your role
    • What are the roles in local government
    • Useful resources
  • Building Positive Relationships in Local Government
  • Effective Strategic Planning and Monitoring Performance
  • Robust Risk Management
  • Fair and transparent decision making
  • Legislative compliance
  • Continuous improvement
• Practicing good governance
• Good Governance and land-use planning
• Summary of links and resources
• Further information
• Acknowledgements
• Glossary

Contact Details

By phone
Find the number of a specific division or office to contact them directly or call Service Tasmania on 1300 135 513.

Our staff
Use the Tasmanian Government Directory to find staff contact details

Social media
Follow our social media accounts to keep up to date with specific programs and initiatives.

Useful resources

The Local Government Division's website contains a range of information sheets, which help to clarify sections of the Local Government Act. Some of the information sheets specific to this section include:

• Role of Elected Members
• General Manager Appointments and Contracts
• Director of Local Government and Local Government Division

The Local Government Division’s website also contains a series of training video scenarios. The video entitled A Balancing Act reflects on the use of power and authority in relation to council officers.

The Local Government Association of Tasmania  provides resources that are relevant to understanding your role, including a Mayoral Handbook and a Councillor Resource Kit.

You can access the Local Government Act 1993 on the Tasmanian Consolidated Legislation Online webpage

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• About Good Governance
  • What is good governance?
  • What are the main characteristics of Good Governance?
  • What are the benefits of Good Governance
• What does good governance mean in practice?
  • High ethical standards
    • Guiding questions for ethical decision making
      • Are your actions in line with the law?
      • Are your actions in line with your council’s code of conduct?
      • Are your actions in line with your personal ethics?
    • Promoting ethical behaviour and useful resources
  • Understanding your role
    • What are the roles in local government
      • Elected members collectively
      • Mayor
      • Deputy mayor and elected members individually
      • General manager
      • Council administration
      • Minister for Local Government
      • Local Government Division
      • Director of Local Government
      • Local Government Association of Tasmania
    • Useful resources
  • Building positive relationships
    • How do you build good relationships?
      • By treating others with respect
      • By understanding your role
      • By understanding the role of others
      • By following communication protocols
    • The relationship between the mayor and the general manager
  • Effective Strategic Planning and Monitoring Performance
    • What is good strategic planning
      • Strategic plans
      • Financial and asset management plans
      • Monitoring and reporting performance
    • Useful resources
  • Robust Risk Management
    • How can councils manage risks?
    • The risk management process
      • 1. Communicate and consult
      • 2. Set the organisational context
      • 3. Identify the risk
      • 4. Analyse the risk
      • 5. Evaluate the risk
      • 6. Treat the risk
      • 7. Monitor, review and audit
  • Fair and transparent decision making
    • Principles guiding decision making
      • Acing in accordance with the law
      • Making unbiased decisions
      • Acting in the interests of the community
    • Community engagement
    • What is a good decision making process
      • Stage 1: Setting the agenda
      • Stage 2: Gathering information
      • Stage 3: Forming an opinion
      • Stage 4: Making the decision
      • Stage 5: Implementing the decision
    • Conflict of interest
      • Pecuniary interests
      • Non-pecuniary interests
    • Closed meetings
    • Useful resources
  • Legislative compliance
  • Continuous improvement
    • What is continuous improvement?
    • Setting the scene for continuous improvement
    • Continuous improvement as a council
    • Continuous improvement for individual elected members
• Practicing good governance
  • Practicing Good Governance as an individual
  • Practicing good governance as a council
• Good Governance and land-use planning
  • Your role as part of a planning authority
  • Relationships between the planning authorities and stakeholders
  • Decision making as part of a planning authority
  • Complying with relevant legislation
  • Strategic land-use planning
• Summary of links and resources
• Further information
• Acknowledgements
• Glossary