policy ยท Ipswich City Council
Ipswich reviews communications policy after spokesperson law changes
Councillors discussed a revised Media and Corporate Communications Policy after changes to the Local Government Act, with the matter set to go to the Finance and Governance committee.
Ipswich City Council is preparing to revisit how it handles official public messaging after councillors reviewed legislative changes affecting who can speak on behalf of local government.
At an extraordinary councillor briefing and workshop session on 27 April, councillors considered amendments to the Local Government Act 2009 that change the statutory provisions for the official spokesperson for local governments. The minutes show the session also examined a revised Media and Corporate Communications Policy intended to align council practice with those changes.
The report presented to councillors said revising the policy was a recommended action advised by the Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers. Attachments to the report were listed as confidential under the Local Government Regulation 2012.
No formal adoption of the revised policy was recorded in the extracted minutes. Instead, councillors noted the information, discussed it and provided feedback during the workshop session.
For residents, the practical effect may come later rather than immediately. The matter relates to council media statements, public messaging and communication protocols, rather than service delivery, infrastructure projects or development approvals.
The minutes state that a further report will be provided to a Finance and Governance committee for consideration. That means the issue is still moving through council's process before any formal policy change is recorded.
The briefing began at 9.01am and closed at 9.56am. Councillor Jacob Madsen and Deputy Mayor Nicole Jonic arrived after the start of the meeting, and Councillor Marnie Doyle left before it ended.
Reference minutes
Source: Ipswich City Council Extraordinary Councillor Briefing and Workshop Session minutes, 27 April 2026.
Key facts from the minutes
- Councillors considered amendments to the Local Government Act 2009 affecting the statutory provisions for the official spokesperson for local governments.
- A revised Media and Corporate Communications Policy was discussed to align with and implement the legislative changes.
- The report said the policy revision was a recommended action advised by the Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers.
- The minutes record that councillors noted, discussed and provided feedback on the information presented.
- A report will be provided to the Finance and Governance committee for consideration.
- No formal adoption or resolution on the revised policy was recorded in the extracted minutes.
Why it matters
- The review could change how Ipswich City Council manages official public statements and who is authorised to speak on its behalf, but no final policy change was recorded at this meeting.