Council continues positive work on governance and respectful conduct
Posted on September 03, 2026
The report provides a statewide overview of Code of Conduct complaints, outcomes and costs across Tasmania’s 29 councils during the current four-year council term.
Mayor Mary Knowles OAM said the report provided an opportunity to reflect on the lessons of the current term while recognising the positive changes made by Council.
“Council has taken practical steps to improve communication, strengthen governance and support the early resolution of disagreements,” Mayor Knowles said.
“We adopted our Dispute Resolution for Elected Members Policy in March 2025, before dispute resolution became mandatory for Tasmanian councils on 10 September 2025. We then reviewed and updated the policy in July 2026 to make sure it remained current and effective.”
The policy provides a clear process for elected members to work through disagreements using structured and confidential mediation before making a formal Code of Conduct complaint. Council has already used independent mediation to resolve, or bring to a clear conclusion, recent disputes that may otherwise have moved directly to the formal complaint process.
The statewide report shows that formal Code of Conduct complaints have begun to decline following the introduction of mandatory dispute resolution. Complaint numbers in the fourth year of the current council term are tracking below the levels recorded in the first three years.
Northern Midlands Council has also recorded only one new Code of Conduct complaint during the past 12 months.
“This is an encouraging sign, but we know that building a respectful and constructive culture requires an ongoing commitment,” Mayor Knowles said.
“Our focus is on maintaining high standards of conduct, communicating effectively and resolving issues as early as possible.
“Strong governance supports community confidence and helps elected members and staff focus on the work that matters to our community.”
Council continues to deliver and progress important projects and services across the municipality, including street upgrades in Perth and Campbell Town, flood mitigation works at Perth and Western Junction, road reconstruction, shared pathways and footpath extensions, community building upgrades and expanded youth programs.
“The Northern Midlands is a vibrant and growing region. Council remains focused on supporting our communities, investing in important infrastructure and delivering the services and facilities residents rely on,” Mayor Knowles said.
“I thank Council’s staff, elected members and volunteers for the work they do across our municipality.
“We will continue to learn from experience, strengthen our governance practices and build a positive and respectful culture that supports good outcomes for the Northern Midlands community.”
Local Government Code of Conduct - Key Trends
The full Local Government Code of Conduct – Key Trends Report is also available on the Department of Justice’s Office of Local Government.