Local Government
The Inspector era has arrived.
Is your council ready for it?
Independent elected-member conduct investigations, complaint assessment and social media policy review for Western Australia’s 139 local governments — from the State’s most experienced social media Code of Conduct investigator.
A new era of accountability for WA councils
On 1 January 2026, the most significant reform to WA local government governance in a generation took effect. The State’s first Local Government Inspector now holds powers that did not previously exist: appointing Monitors to observe any council without notice, suspending elected members for up to three months, and reporting complaint statistics to Parliament every year. And since July 2026, adjudicator findings have been published on the Inspector’s website — naming the member and the council involved, whatever the outcome.
At the same time, every WA council was required to establish an Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee (ARIC) with an independent presiding member — a transition deadline that has now passed.
The result: conduct that once stayed inside the council chamber is now subject to independent oversight, published findings, and real sanctions. And the fastest-growing area of exposure is one the sector’s rulebook barely acknowledges: elected members’ use of social media. The Model Code of Conduct’s entire treatment of the subject is two sub-clauses — and it does not even define the term. Our July 2026 review of the published policies of all 137 WA local governments found that 56% have no social media policy covering their elected members, and fewer than 1 in 10 maintain a dedicated elected-member social media policy.
The Inspector’s graduated enforcement model
- Prevent — education, guidance, published case studies
- Remedy — complaint assessment and local resolution
- Infringe — Adjudicator breach findings (replacing the Standards Panel)
- Sanction — formal orders and suspension up to 3 months
- Prosecute — inquiries and referral for serious misconduct
What this means for your council
- Adjudicator findings are published by name — even a ‘no breach’ outcome is a permanent public record
- Behavioural complaints are referred back to councils to investigate under their own Code
- Two prior breach findings trigger mandatory referral to the Inspector
- The Inspector’s first Annual Report to Parliament is due late 2026 — councils with a documented prevention record will stand apart
Why People Assignment
People Assignment has completed four social media Code of Conduct investigations of WA local government elected members — investigations that were tested, defended, and have shaped how we now help councils prevent the same outcomes. We believe no other WA provider can make that claim. Client confidentiality is absolute: we do not name the councils we serve, and every piece of case material we use is fully anonymised.
Our current engagements span the State — from the Kimberley to the South West, the Wheatbelt to the Pilbara — across conduct investigations, complaint assessment, and independent audit, risk and improvement committee roles.
Independent investigations, built to withstand scrutiny
In the Inspector era, an investigation is not finished when the report is written. It is finished when the findings survive everything that comes after — an Adjudicator’s assessment, the Inspector’s oversight, legal challenge, media attention, and the scrutiny of the community. That is the standard every People Assignment investigation is built to meet.
We have completed four elected-member social media Code of Conduct investigations across WA local governments, alongside workplace investigations and conduct reviews for councils from the Kimberley to the South West. Several councils have engaged us more than once — the strongest endorsement an independent investigator can receive.
The new regime also changes where investigation work lands. When a behavioural complaint — including most social media conduct matters — reaches the Inspector, it is referred back to the council to be dealt with under its own Code of Conduct. Your council must then run a process that withstands the scrutiny of the complainant, the member, the community and the Inspector’s oversight. That is precisely the work we do.
What we investigate
- Elected member Code of Conduct complaints — with WA’s deepest specialisation in social media conduct matters
- Behaviour complaints under council complaint-management frameworks
- Workplace misconduct within councils — bullying, discrimination, sexual harassment, integrity matters
- Conflicts of interest and disclosure concerns involving members or staff
- Complaint assessment and triage — independent advice on whether a complaint warrants investigation at all
How we work
- Rapid appointment — with a 30-day complaint limitation window, we mobilise in days, not weeks
- Properly particularised allegations and clear terms of reference before a single interview is held
- Procedural fairness at every step — the right to know, the right to respond, an impartial process, all documented
- Evidence tested on the balance of probabilities — findings rest on evidence, not impression
- A report your council can act on — clear findings plus prevention recommendations to reduce recurrence
Every investigation is conducted personally or supervised directly by Stephen Brown APM, and supported where required by licensed physical surveillance, technical surveillance and counter-measure capability. Statewide reach includes regional and remote councils, with culturally informed practice available through our Supply Nation accredited partner.
The five failure modes that catch good people
Our investigations revealed something important: the elected members involved were not bad actors. They were honest, community-focused people caught by governance traps they didn’t know existed. From that casework we documented the five failure modes behind most social media conduct matters — and built our policy review and briefing services around them.
The Dual-Role Problem
Councillor and election candidate at the same time — social media built in one role bleeds into the other, and the line is rarely clear.
The Retroactive Rebranding Trap
A page associated with the councillor role is renamed as a campaign page — reclassifying every historical post, sometimes without the member even knowing.
The Official Capacity Trigger
A post from a personal account, about a council matter, in a representative capacity, is an official communication — whatever the account settings say.
The Amplification Multiplier
A disputed post left online compounds its exposure every single day it remains live — reputationally, financially, and legally.
The Policy Gap
56% of WA councils have no social media policy covering elected members — and the Model Code’s two sub-clauses don’t even define the term. (Our audit of all 137, July 2026.)
How we help
Independent investigation when your council needs it — and the fastest, highest-value prevention step before it does. Every service is available to every WA council through the WALGA Preferred Supplier Panel, with no tender process required.
| Service | What it delivers | Investment |
|---|---|---|
| Code of Conduct Investigation | Independent, defensible investigation of elected member conduct complaints — including WA’s deepest specialisation in social media matters. Procedurally fair, evidence-based, and built to withstand Adjudicator, Inspector and legal scrutiny. | From $3,500 excl. GST |
| Complaint Assessment & Triage | Independent assessment of an incoming complaint: does it warrant investigation, local resolution, or referral? Protects your council from both over-escalation and under-response — with the 30-day window in mind. | By agreement |
| Workplace Investigation | Misconduct, bullying, discrimination and integrity investigations within the council administration — the same defensible methodology, applied to staff matters. | Scoped to matter |
| Social Media Policy Review ★ recommended first step | Independent gap analysis of your current social media policy against the five failure modes documented in our own WA investigations, with specific recommended drafting. Gives your council a documented, proactive compliance record — before the Inspector’s first Annual Report lands. | $1,500 – $2,500 |
| Executive Briefing | 90 minutes for the Mayor or President and CEO — the Inspector regime, your council’s exposure, and the questions to ask before a complaint arrives. | $1,500 – $2,000 |
| Elected Member Briefing Session | A focused 1.5-hour session for your council’s elected members: the legal framework, the five failure modes, and the 10 Rules of Safe Social Media — drawn from fully anonymised WA case material. Also available where an adjudicator has ordered training as a conduct-breach sanction. | From $2,000 |
| Independent ARIC Membership | Experienced independent presiding or deputy presiding member services for your Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee. | By agreement |
“The elected members in our investigations were good people doing their best for their communities. They weren’t caught by bad intentions — they were caught by traps they didn’t know existed. Our job is to make sure your members see those traps before the Inspector does.”STEPHEN BROWN APM — MANAGING DIRECTOR, PEOPLE ASSIGNMENT
Before it becomes a complaint, make it a conversation.
Confidential, no-obligation discussion for CEOs, Governance Managers, Mayors and Presidents.
