Victorian government proposal to digitalise community, public notices met with backlash

Mr Walsh said the legislative requirement for councils and state governments to put community notices in the paper when they're going to make changes is a crucial part of a transparent, accountable government.

"Community notices in the local paper ensure local people are kept up to date on changes in their local community," he said.

"Under Labor's changes, these notices will instead go on a yet-to-be-determined website, buried somewhere in the depths of the web."

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Northern Region MP Tania Maxwell said the changes proposed in the government's bill would impact more than 400 types of notices.

"Transparency on government change is an important part of open and honest government, but government advertising is also an important source of revenue for our small country papers," she said.

"If Labor abandons our community papers with this unnecessary move it will further gut their already struggling profit margins."

Ms Maxwell said she was aware of thousands of people who relied on regional and rural newspapers to keep up to date on issues and information, and that despite the big shift to digital platforms, these publications remain a vital source of information in affected communities.

"I have been speaking with the government about my concerns that shifting the requirement from print to online publication of statutory notices could exclude people from important information and reduce transparency and participation," she said.

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"The change proposed in the government's bill affects the publication of more than 400 types of notices. I've been working through these issues to try to reach consensus that will safeguard regional media and regional information sharing.

"I am optimistic we can reach agreement, so the publication of notices in our vital regional newspapers continues."

The types of notices likely to be impacted by the proposed changes includes matters relating to permits, approvals and licenses (like liquor licence applications, planning permits, water allocations and licenses); publication of an amendment, codes of practice, determinations, orders and declarations.

Proposals, inquiries, invitations for submissions, as well as sales of entitlements, matters related to unclaimed property, landowners seeking to sell unclaimed goods, amendment of gas and electricity tariffs and matters relating to trusts and board meetings would also be affected.

Debate on the proposed changes is expected to resume this week.

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