There is a wide range of professional development training and courses designed to help you reach your full potential as a councillor. They range from simple courses on meeting procedures or better presentation and public speaking skills through to personal skills such as community leadership and mediation skills, and also include training in technical issues such as development approvals, or strategic and financial planning.

While individual councils often run their own training, courses are also available through Local Government NSW (LGNSW), the peak body for councils in NSW. LGNSW can also help arrange mentoring programs, in which new councillors receive personalised support and advice from a more experienced councillor or mayor.

There’s also a Model Code of Conduct that applies to all councillors in NSW, which is designed to help ensure councillors are fair, ethical, and remain accountable to their community.