"The strategies and policies that develop these facets are decided by our elected members," Ms Almond said.
She said to make decisions on such a broad spectrum, councillors need an understanding and up-to-date information about the activity they might be considering.
Professional development is covered through a range of in-house and off-site courses and workshops, involving Local Government NZ presenters, independent consultants and council's own staff.
Ms Almond told councillors that to make sure this investment in their development "pays dividends" to the community, attendance at on-site workshops should be considered mandatory and attendance at off-site courses "a privilege to be pursued".
But she said the programmes would always have to be relevant to the council's business so any related travel, accommodation and meal costs would have to show up as a "prudent use of ratepayer funds.
The cost of these courses varies, ranging from a few hundred dollars to $4500 a day for groups.