Plans by the Welsh Government to remove the obligation on councils to publish council tax changes in local newspapers have been condemned by industry leaders.

The Labour administration in Cardiff is proposing to replace the obligation on billing authorities to publish notices in a newspaper with an obligation to publish them electronically.

But the proposal, which is included in the current Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill, has been condemned as “dangerous” by publishing industry bosses.

Trade body the News Media Association and opposition Plaid Cymru representatives are now calling on the Welsh Government to scrap the plans.

Chief executive Owen Meredith, pictured, said: “The proposals in the Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill to remove the requirement for councils to publish council tax changes in local newspapers are dangerous and must be abandoned.

“Independent research and the Welsh government’s own impact assessment show that printed local newspapers are an essential platform for ensuring that the public – particularly the elderly, disenfranchised, those living in rural areas, and lower income households – have access to critical information that may have a profound impact upon their lives.

“The industry has also worked to leverage its strong growth in digital audiences with the launch of the Public Notice Portal in May this year.

“The UK government in Westminster has publicly acknowledged the vital importance of local newspapers in communicating public notices and pledged to keep the requirement for councils to publish them in local papers. We now urge the Welsh government to stand up for transparency and accountability and do the same.”

Speaking during a debate on the Bill this week, Plaid Cymru MS Peredur Owen Griffiths asked ministers to revisit the wording to ensure changes were published in newspapers as well as online.

A recent report by the Wales Public Interest Journalism Working Group, which included representatives from a wide range of publishers, recognised that the publication of statutory notices in newspapers provides vital information to the community on a wide range of subjects, as well as providing a vital revenue stream for news publishers.