Audit ratings
When a scheduled compliance audit is conducted at council, the Local Government Investigations and Compliance Inspectorate will review pre-selected testing items.
Each testing item of the audit will be given one of the following three ratings depending on the level of compliance with the Local Government Act 1989.
Compliant
The responses and supporting documentation supplied by council staff provide sufficient evidence that council has met the legislative requirements of the Act and there is no action required for this testing component.
Close to compliant
Responses and supporting documentation supplied by council staff demonstrate that council has attempted to meet the requirements of the Act however, answers or supporting documentation may have fallen short of meeting the strict regulatory requirements of the Act and minor amendments to administrative procedures are required.
Not compliant
Responses and/or supporting documentation supplied by council staff do not provide sufficient evidence that council has met the requirements of the Act, or were not supplied.
The Inspectorate is committed to assisting councils to achieve clear, transpaernt governance and avoid possible breaches, and works with councils to ensure all areas of administration are compliant with the Act.
Local Government Victoria has published a number of guides for council governance to assist in continuous improvement and best practice processes.