New laws governing the operation of local governments came into effect on 1 July 2010 with the Local Government Act 2009 replacing the Local Government Act 1993, and the City of Brisbane Act 2010 replacing the City of Brisbane Act 1924.

The new legislation aims to provide local governments with:

• a simpler, principles-based approach to legislation
• emphasis on sustainable, accountable government that uses input form the community
• greater flexibility and easier customisation with less legislative burden
• clearer roles and responsibilities for councillors.

The following resources have been developed by the department to assist local governments in implementing the Local Government Act 2009 from 1 July 2010.

• Making the most of meetings
• Local Government Act 2009 fact sheets
• an explanation of local government legislation.