The behavioural standards of local councillors will go under the microscope, with South Australians urged to help shape new rules and expectations.

The proposed Behavioural Standards for Council Members are open for public consultation until February and will form part of a new conduct management framework.

Minister for Local Government Josh Teague says the framework is a key element of landmark reforms to South Australia’s local government sector.

“These reforms have been well-overdue - constructive and effective working relationships between council members are essential to building and maintaining community trust,” he says.

“We’ve worked closely with the Local Government Association to ensure this first iteration of the standards meets the requirements of the sector.

“Now we want to ask the community for their input.

“Elected officials are accountable to the public, which is why it’s so important to hear from the community and listen to what they think the standards of behaviour should be.”

The Standards will apply to all council members and clarify existing definitions of bullying and sexual harassment.

“Communities expect their councils to put aside personal differences and focus on the important work of making their local areas better,” he says.

“While the majority of our elected local council members consistently do the right thing, we’ve certainly seen some very public examples of poor behaviour over the past 12 months.

“These standards are really the baseline for decent behaviour - they will serve to give all local councillors a clear understanding of what is expected, and what will happen if these standards are breached.”

The framework also outlines clear escalations for repeated or serious misbehaviour, including establishing a new Behavioural Standards Panel.

“The panel will be made up of independent members to ensure there’s an objective hand on the wheel,” he said.

“We expect the panel to be established early next year and up and running ready for the new council term after the November 2022 council elections.”

Consultation is open for feedback and submissions until Wednesday, 16 February 2022.

See the proposed Behaviour Standards for Council Members at https://yoursay.sa.gov.au/behaviour-standards