Home›Questions on Notice›QoN 819

❓ Ms. Beard asks about state government regulatory agencies' responsibilities regarding local government's building permit authority functions. The answer outlines the accountability structure, highlighting the role of the elected council and oversight from various state agencies.

AnsweredQoN 819Legislative Assembly

Asked

14 June 2023

Member

Ms M. Beard

Portfolio

Local Government

QuestionView source ↗

I refer to local government Council’s performance of its legislated building permit authority functions as defined by the Building Act, and ask which state government regulatory agencies have responsibilities for the below : (a) Legislative accountability for the oversight of local government council’s performance of its building functions; (b) The specialist capabilities and powers to undertake inquiries into complaints about the conduct and performance of a Council’s building functions; and (c) The powers to direct a local government to correct or take action to improve the performance of its building functions?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered

9 August 2023

Responded by

Minister for Local Government

Response time

6 days

(a-c) The Local Government Act 1995 establishes that the elected council governs a local government’s affairs, and is generally responsible for the performance of the local government’s functions. The council of each local government is accountable to the electors of the district through biennial elections.
Local governments are also subject to the oversight of several State Government agencies, including the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, the Office of the Auditor General, and the WA Ombudsman.

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