Consultative Committees provide access to the ideas and views of employees. Employees are a valuable resource, and they provide a multitude of skills and experience. A Consultative Committee allows that expertise and input to benefit Council operations.

Consultation breaks down the traditional and old-fashioned barriers between “us and them” in the workplace, recognises the common interests which exist between Council and its staff and ensures that the Council and its employees can work to a common goal of providing a more effective service to the community, a more efficient operation and greater satisfaction for staff.

Consultative Committees, as a minimum, should have a constitution, maintain accurate minutes and reports, allow proper consultation with all staff and meet regularly as required.

As per Clause 34 of the Local Government (State) Award 2023, the aim of the Consultative Committee is to

  1. Provide a forum for consultation between the employer and its employees that encourages a free and open exchange of views,
  2. Positively co-operate in workplace reform to enhance the efficiency and productivity of the employer and to provide employees with access to career opportunities and more fulfilling, varied and better paid work.

The functions of the consultative committee include;

  1. Award implementation
  2. Training
  3. Consultation with regard to organisation restructure
  4. Job redesign
  5. Salary systems
  6. Communication and education mechanisms
  7. Performance management systems
  8. Changes to variable working hours arrangements for new or vacant positions
  9. Local government reform
  10. Proposed variations to leaseback vehicle arrangements
  11. Health and wellbeing

An important process of the Consultative Committee, which is quite often overlooked, is the development of the agenda. At least 14 days prior to any meeting, the chair shall call for agenda items. The agenda items will be collated and assembled into a business paper which then should be disseminated to committee members and staff at least 7 days prior to the meeting. This 7-day timeframe is important, as it allows committee members to meet with affected staff to discuss any items and to also review any correspondence they have received from staff they represent.

Some Councils will try and claim that the information is confidential and can’t be released prior to meeting. If this is the case, committee members must ensure that they request that no voting on any agenda items is forthcoming until they have had sufficient time to speak to those concerned and can bring back any information for the committee to consider before voting.

Clause 8.14 of the NSW Model Code of Conduct for Local Councils states

8.14 Union Delegates and Consultative Committee members may have reasonable access to Council resources and information for the purposes of carrying out their industrial responsibilities, including but not limited to:

  1. the representation of members with respect to disciplinary matters
  2. the representation of employees with respect to grievances and disputes
  3. functions associated with the role of the local consultative

The above clause allows for members of the Consultative Committee to have access to information that will assist them to carry out their duties on the committee. This is also the same for resources. Time is a Council resource that may be required to be used so that meetings can be held with affected staff.

Another key aspect of a Consultative Committee is for the ability for Officers of the Union(s) or Association(s) to be present at any meeting, by invitation of the Consultative Committee or their respective members. The purpose of this is to provide input and advice to the committee. This is especially important if you have hostile members and sometimes anti-Union members of the committee that don’t or won’t allow for transparent discussions to take place.

If you have any concerns about your local Consultative Committee or would simply like to request the attendance of your Union Official at the next meeting, it is imperative that you reach out and make contact with them to have that discussion or request their participation.