Meeting papers

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING                                                        20 JANUARY 2025


8.8     LEGAL COUNSEL UPDATE


Author              Legal Counsel, Krista Fitzakerley
                    Governance | Office of the CEO & Mayor
Index               ECM/ Subject/ 27.10 Council Meeting Reports
Attachments         None


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Council appointed an in-house legal counsel in December 2023.
It was a new role for Council with defined scope that has evolved over the last 12 months.
Legal Counsel provides this report to update Council on the work undertaken, perceived benefits to
Council, identified risks and cost savings in having an internal legal service.
Key benefits and observations include:
      1. By providing legal services in-house costs savings of $228,285.00 (up to and including 7
         November 2024) have been realised.
      2. A Digital Legal Request Form has been implemented on Noosapedia (intranet) and has been
         operational since late March 2024. It has streamlined the process for Council staff to seek
         internal legal advice and this has resulted in an uplift in requests.
      3. The creation of a Legal Advice Database for a secure searchable database for the legal
         advice obtained by Council.
      4. The primary benefit across Council has been an overall reduction in risk.

RECOMMENDATION
That Council note the report by the Legal Counsel to the General Committee Meeting dated 20
January 2025 regarding an update on the new role of Legal Counsel and associated legal activities.


REPORT
The Role of In-House Legal Counsel
Legal Counsel has a defined scope that includes:
o     Commercial transactions and negotiations – reviews and interpretations of agreements, MOUs,
      Deeds, conditions etc.;
o     Legislative interpretation and legal updates;
o     Legal advice (both internal and briefing external lawyers as required) on various innovative
      proposals, disputes, and general matters across Council;
o     Coordination, oversight and tracking of litigation cases across Council;
o     Legal risk guidance;
o     Legal education, training, and awareness for staff;
o     Legal review of delegations and policies.
2. Excluded Scope
The following areas are excluded from the scope of work handled by the Legal Counsel:
o     Planning, Building and Plumbing - Development Assessments and Appeals




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