In January 2024, the Inspectorate made recommendations to Local Government Victoria around reforms to be made to the existing mandatory local government candidate training, to further strengthen candidate understanding of the requirements of being a councillor.
The Inspectorate’s recommendations were made following feedback from key stakeholders across the sector as part of our Councillor Conduct Framework Review.
In response to our feedback, along with that from the broader sector, Local Government Victoria accepted a number of the reforms proposed by LGI in developing a new mandatory candidate training module, released on 15 July 2024.
All candidates, including incumbent councillors, must complete the mandatory online training prior to nominating.
“Candidates who have already completed the training prior to 15 July are not required to complete the new training module, however we strongly encourage them to do so.
"The new training will give them a deeper understanding of the complexities of being a councillor, the integrity obligations they have and the value councillors can add to our community,” noted CMI Michael Stefanovic.
Following a post-election review, the Inspectorate will continue to advocate for further reform should a need be identified.
Accessing the training, or seeking further information, can be done here(opens in a new window).
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