Local Laws

King & Company have been drafting local laws (formerly by-laws) throughout the firm’s history.

For the 1999 local law review, we acted for more than 40 Councils all over Queensland all of whom repealed all their existing local laws, replacing them with new local laws and subordinate local laws.

We’ve drafted everything from local laws relating to bathing reserves, the keeping and control of animals and parking, to those relating to rental accommodation with shared facilities, libraries, bus shelter advertising, waste management and short-term accommodation.  Along the way we’ve reviewed and/or drafted local laws for many Councils, large and small, urban and rural/remote.

Accordingly, we have available to assist us with the local law-making process all relevant precedents including:

• drafting certificates for local laws and subordinate local laws;
• lists of possible anti-competitive provisions identified in draft local laws and subordinate local laws;
• draft resolutions to propose to make local laws and subordinate local laws at step one of each of the local law and subordinate local law-making process;
• pro-forma letters to relevant government entities for State interest check purposes;
• draft public interest test plans for local laws and subordinate local laws;
• draft public interest test reports for local laws and subordinate local laws;

and much more. 

This means we have a database of precedent laws, subordinate laws and public interest tests covering virtually any subject which a Council may wish to regulate.  Laws are rarely able to be adopted "off the shelf" but we have a database of material which provides a valuable starting point in relation to almost any subject.  Further, our internal database of legal opinions on local laws issues (their creation, their validity, enforcement options and so on) is extensive. 

Our laws conform to the drafting style required by the Parliamentary Counsel and the requirements of the Legislative Standards Act 1992.