​Following the launch of the Baird Government's Fit for the Future reform package in September 2014, a number of legislative and administrative changes have been made to the local government sector in NSW. Introduced into the Legislative Assembly on 22 June 2016, the Local Government Amendment (Governance and Planning) Bill 2016 contains the most recent proposed changes. This Bill aims to improve the performance, transparency, governance and accountability of local councils in NSW.

This e-brief summarises recent and proposed local government reforms, including those contained in the Governance and Planning Bill. The Bill's key provisions are set out alongside the relevant recommendations of the Independent Local Government Review Panel report and the Local Government Acts Taskforce report.