Councils have certain duties which they must perform, and certain powers which they may exercise, pursuant to the Local Government Act 1999, as well as a range of other Acts. In most cases the relevant Acts grant those obligations and powers directly on the Council as a body.

Section 44 of the Local Government Act 1999 allows Council to delegate powers, functions and duties to Committees, subsidiaries of Council, employees, specific positions and authorised officers.

Delegations are the way in which Council enables other people/bodies (usually Council officers) to make decisions and carry out duties on its behalf. Delegations enhance decision-making processes and allow nominated routine matters to be resolved efficiently and effectively without the need for submission to Council.

Delegations provide streamlined decision-making processes for faster determination of issues.

Council must take formal steps to delegate to such people or bodies, the authority to make decisions, or undertake activities on its behalf. It is usual for Council to make delegations to the Chief Executive Officer, who will then make sub-delegations to the appropriate Council officers.

Combined Instrument of Delegation 2 June 2022

A decision under delegated authority has the same standing as if made by Council.

For Further Information

Further information on Legislative Delegations is available by contacting Council.