City of Melbourne review finds Developer Contact Policy is “working well”

A review of the City of Melbourne’s Developer Contact Policy has found that the policy ensures public accountability in decision-making processes.

The policy, adopted by the council in 2024, requires councillors to publicly record when they meet with developers.

According to a council report, the review found that the existing processes, procedures, and guidelines within the policy are transparent, consistent, and uphold public accountability in decision-making.

However, the review did find that the same reporting requirements should also apply to the chief executive officer of the City of Melbourne.

As of March this year, the current CEO of the City of Melbourne, Alison Leighton, has been required to record her meetings with developers.

At the Future Melbourne Committee meeting on July 29, an updated version of the policy was voted on by councillors after the August edition of Docklands News published.

There was no feedback from the community, councillors, or council officers regarding the operation of the policy, and the review has concluded that minimal change is required.

As it stands, it is compulsory for councillors to record contact with developers. The declaration of prescribed contact is the direct responsibility of the individual councillor.

Additionally, as the sole responsibility for recording prescribed contact lies with councillors, council staff are not responsible for updating or checking the Developer Contact Register, aside from publishing the register on the website.

A range of legislation, codes, and council documents inform and support this policy, including but not limited to the Freedom of Information Act 1982, the Local Government Act, and the Planning and Environment Act. •