Eurobodalla’s new Councillors took their Oath or Affirmation of Office on Monday morning which was followed up with two days of training.

Council reported that “Next week will be their first round of briefings on a range of current issues and projects ahead of the first Council Meeting of the term on Tuesday 29 October.

With four staying on from the previous Council, one returning and four new Councillors there will be much to familiarise themselves with.

A series of training sessions for almost 1,300 newly elected councillors in NSW will provide essential information for councillors to effectively serve their communities over the next four years.

The Office of Local Government will be hosting ‘Hit the Ground Running’ webinars for several weeks to help new and returning councillors understand their duties and responsibilities.

The webinars will cover a wide range of important topics including financial management, appropriate conduct and ethical decision making, roles and responsibilities, corruption risks and prevention, meeting practices and strategic planning.

The state’s 128 councils employ more than 50,000 people, invest more than $15 billion each year in the delivery of services and around $7 billion on new and existing infrastructure.

Overseeing this work is a critical responsibility and these training sessions will ensure councillors can commence the new term of council with a strong understanding of the job ahead of them.

The webinars will also assist councils with satisfying the requirement to deliver training for new and returning councillors within six months of their election. Councillors will receive a certificate of attendance for each webinar they participate in to help councils comply with their reporting obligations regarding councillor training.

Session dates and details including how to register, can be accessed by councils via the ‘Hit the Ground Running’ webpage on the Office of Local Government’s Council Portal here: https://www.olg.nsw.gov.au/council-portal/hit-the-ground-running/

Councillor contacts are now on the website: www.esc.nsw.gov.au/council/councillors and all the Council Meeting information at www.esc.nsw.gov.au/meetings