July 2023 update:
The Draft Media and Draft Social Media Policies were adopted by Council at the meeting on 7 June 2023. Minutes of the meeting can be found on the Council website.
March 2023 update:
Consultation on the Draft Media and Social Media Policies has closed and submissions are now being reviewed. Thank you to everyone who submitted feedback.
Draft Media & Social Media Policies 2023
Cumberland City Council is giving notification of the exhibition of the Draft Media Policy 2023 and the Draft Social Media Policy 2023. These Policies will be exhibited for a period of 28 days as resolved at the 16 November 2022 Council meeting. All submissions made to these policies will be made public and considered by Council.
Relevant links:
Policy overview
Draft Media Policy 2023
The Draft Media Policy 2023 establishes the Council’s procedures for responding to and initiating media contacts. It applies to all Council officials, which includes Councillors, Council staff, Council committee members, conduct reviewers and delegates of Council.
In administering its media program and community information, Council ensures that it Identifies and assigns Council’s authorised spokespersons and complies with the NSW Local Government Act 1993 No.30 and the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 No.52.
For more details, see the Draft Media Policy 2023 in the document library.
Draft Social Media Policy 2023
The Social Media Policy has been developed by the Office of Local Government (OLG) in consultation with councils. It is applicable to councils, county councils and joint organisations.
The Social media Policy sets out an exemplar approach by incorporating examples of best practice from the social media policies of a diverse range of NSW councils, as well as from Commonwealth and State Government agencies.
The Social media Policy provides councils, county councils and joint organisations with a robust framework for the administration and management of their social media platforms. It also sets standards of conduct for all council officials who use social media in their official capacity. It has been developed to be fit-for-purpose in a digital age where innovation and emerging trends are the norm.
At the heart of the Social Media Policy are the four ‘Principles’ of social media engagement. These are:
- Openness
- Relevance
- Accuracy
- Respect
For more details, see the Draft Social Media Policy 2023 in the document library.
Have Your Say
We encourage you to download a copy of the policies for review from our document library. You can access them here:
The Draft Media Policy 2023 and the Draft Social Media Policy are on exhibition from Friday 3 February to Friday 3 March 2023. During this community consultation period, residents are encouraged to submit their feedback on the draft policies by completing the feedback form below. If you prefer, you can complete email your submission, or write it out and post that in to the Council instead of completing it online. You may provide feedback on either policy or both policies in the same submission. Anyone who wishes to provide feedback on the policies must do so in writing by 5pm Friday 3 March 2023.
To Make A Submission on the Proposal:
Submissions concerning the two policies are to be made by 5pm Friday 3 March 2023. You may provide feedback on either the Draft Media Policy 2023, the Draft Social Media Policy 2023, or both policies in the same submission.
There are three ways you can lodge a submission:
- Complete an online submission below.
- Email it to Council@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
- Post it to The General Manager, Cumberland City Council, PO Box 42, Merrylands NSW 2160.
