Good Governance

Australia has three levels of government: federal, state and local. Local government (council), is responsible for planning and delivering a wide range of services for residents, businesses, neighbourhoods and the local community. All councils have the power to make and enforce local laws, and collect revenue to fund their activities. 

Every Victorian council varies according to its community. However, all must operate in accordance with the Local Government Act. 

We collaborate with our neighbouring councils, which are the cities of Melbourne, Bayside, Glen Eira and Stonnington.

In Victoria, the role of a council is to:

provide good governance in its municipal district for the benefit and wellbeing of the municipal community.

A Council must perform its role giving effect to the following —

• Council decisions are to be made and actions taken in accordance with the relevant law;
• priority is to be given to achieving the best outcomes for the municipal community, including future generations;
• the economic, social and environmental sustainability of the municipal district, including mitigation and planning for climate change risks, is to be promoted;
• the municipal community is to be engaged in strategic planning and strategic decision making;
• innovation and continuous improvement is to be pursued;
• collaboration with other Councils and Governments and statutory bodies is to be sought;
• the ongoing financial viability of the Council is to be ensured;
• regional, state and national plans and policies are to be taken into account in strategic planning and decision making;
• the transparency of Council decisions, actions and information is to be ensured.

Inner Melbourne Action Plan Implementation Committee 2020 (PDF 3.95MB)

Planning Committee Instrument of Delegation by the Council 2020 (PDF 660KB)

Council Delegations to Staff 2020 (PDF 656KB)

Council Delegations to CEO at 6 September 2017 (PDF 1.01MB)

Council Delegations to Staff Fishermans Bend 2017 (PDF 285KB)

Council Delegations to Staff St Kilda Road North 2017 (PDF 199KB)

Council Delegations to Staff St Kilda Seabaths Protocol 2017 (PDF 202KB)

In February 2013, the Whistleblowers Protection Act 2001 was replaced with the Protected Disclosure Act 2012.

The Protected Disclocure Act 2012 has now been renamed the Public Interest Disclosures Act 2012.

The purpose of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2012 is to encourage and facilitate disclosures of improper conduct by public officers, public bodies and other persons and disclosures of detrimental action taken in reprisal for a person making a disclosure under the Act.

The City of Port Phillip is committed to the aims and objectives of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2012. It does not tolerate improper conduct by its employees, officers or members, nor the taking of reprisals against those who come forward to disclose such conduct.

The City of Port Phillip recognises the value of transparency and accountability in its administrative and management practices, and supports the making of disclosures that reveal corrupt  and specified conduct (as defined in the Act),.

The City of Port Phillip will take all reasonable steps to protect people who make such disclosures from any detrimental action in reprisal for making the disclosure.

The Act provides protection to persons who make those disclosures and persons who may suffer detrimental action in reprisal for those disclosures. The Act also provides for the confidentiality of the content of those disclosures and the identity of the persons who make those disclosures.

Council has established ‘Public Interest Disclosure Procedures’ to (a) facilitate the making of protected disclosures; and (b) for the handling of those disclosures received and, where appropriate, the notification of those disclosures to the IBAC.

View the City of Port Phillip Public Interest Disclosure Procedures (PDF 404KB).    

The Procedures outline the various Council officers who have been delegated the role in dealing with Public Interest Disclosures, which include the Public Interest Disclosure Co-ordinator and the Public Interest Disclosure Officers.

A disclosure about improper conduct or detrimental action in reprisal for a public interest disclosure by the City of Port Phillip or its employees, may also be made directly to IBAC.

Online: www.ibac.vic.gov.au
Toll free: 1300 735 135
Fax: (03) 8635 6444
Address: Level 1, North Tower, 459 Collins Street
Melbourne, Victoria 3001
Post: GPO Box 24234, Melbourne Victoria 3000