A council operates in a continuous cycle of planning, deciding, acting and reviewing. This process ensures the community's vision guides the council's work and the results are reported back to the public.

Step 1: Planning and vision

This is where the elected council translates the community's long-term vision into a formal plan. It involves developing key documents like the strategic plan, long-term financial plans, and asset management plans to guide the council's direction. This stage is heavily informed by public consultation, ensuring your voice helps shape the future.

Step 2: Making the decision

All council decisions are made in formal council meetings through a process of debate and voting. To ensure fairness and transparency, councillors must follow strict rules, including declaring any actual or perceived conflict of interest, including pecuniary interests.

Step 3: Taking action

Once a decision is made, it is time to put it into practice.

  • The elected council gives legal effect to the decision by using its powers, such as formally setting the annual rates and charges that fund services or creating a new by-law.
  • The general manager and council staff then execute the decision. This includes collecting rates, enforcing by-laws, managing contracts and delivering the full range of council services to you.

To learn how council rates are calculated and what they pay for, go to information about council rates.

Step 4: Reporting and review (the feedback loop)

This final stage ensures the council is accountable for its actions and performance.

  • The council must produce a public annual report measuring its performance against the goals set in its annual plan.
  • This report is presented at an annual general meeting (AGM), where you can attend and ask questions.
  • The council's finances and performance are also checked by its own internal audit panel and the Tasmanian Auditor-General to ensure public money is being managed responsibly.

To see how councils are performing against key measures, go to council performance and dashboard.