Policy Review - Draft Code of Meeting Practice

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Consultation has concluded

A Council, under the Local Government Act 1993 must adopt a Code of Meeting Practice that regulates the conduct of Council and committee meetings.

Council’s draft Code of Meeting Practice has been developed based on the updated Model Code of Meeting Practice released by the Office of Local Government that was prescribed 12 November 2021 including some specific amendments recommended by Council.

Council is proposing modifying a number of the non-mandatory provisions of the code along with the addition of supplementary amendments to the Model Code of Meeting Practice.

This draft Code makes the following key changes:

  • Removing the public forum from the Council meeting and conducting it at a separate time. This will allow Councillors adequate time to consider what is said in the public forum before having to make a decision in the Council meeting.
  • Removing the option to speak on items not on the agenda as part of a public forum.
  • Adding the following words to clause 4.8 “Approval to speak shall be granted on a first in basis with the first 2 applications to speak received being approved (subject to any other conditions) and additional applications not being successful. The CEO may permit additional speakers under exceptional circumstances.”
  • Proposed to delete 4.9 and 4.10 as below. These are covered in the addition to clause 4.8 as above.
  • Proposed to delete 4.26. Councillors can be emailed directly through their email addresses as provided on Council’s website.
  • Remove 4.25(a) as historically these submissions have been permitted during public forum
  • Add a new clause as 10.22A that states “Where a motion or amendment has been changed with the permission of the mover and seconder, speakers who have already spoken to the motion or amendment shall be provided the opportunity to speak for an additional three (3) minutes to address the change to the motion or amendment only.”
  • It is proposed to bring items by exception to the start of the meeting to ensure that they are completed early.

Proposed amendments to the existing code are shown in red in the draft code with deletions also shown by a strikethrough.

Submissions from the public shall be received until 5pm on Tuesday 1 November 2022.

Have Your Say

Submissions can be made by

For more information please contact Council’s Group Manager Governance on (02) 6581 8111.

A Council, under the Local Government Act 1993 must adopt a Code of Meeting Practice that regulates the conduct of Council and committee meetings.

Council’s draft Code of Meeting Practice has been developed based on the updated Model Code of Meeting Practice released by the Office of Local Government that was prescribed 12 November 2021 including some specific amendments recommended by Council.

Council is proposing modifying a number of the non-mandatory provisions of the code along with the addition of supplementary amendments to the Model Code of Meeting Practice.

This draft Code makes the following key changes:

  • Removing the public forum from the Council meeting and conducting it at a separate time. This will allow Councillors adequate time to consider what is said in the public forum before having to make a decision in the Council meeting.
  • Removing the option to speak on items not on the agenda as part of a public forum.
  • Adding the following words to clause 4.8 “Approval to speak shall be granted on a first in basis with the first 2 applications to speak received being approved (subject to any other conditions) and additional applications not being successful. The CEO may permit additional speakers under exceptional circumstances.”
  • Proposed to delete 4.9 and 4.10 as below. These are covered in the addition to clause 4.8 as above.
  • Proposed to delete 4.26. Councillors can be emailed directly through their email addresses as provided on Council’s website.
  • Remove 4.25(a) as historically these submissions have been permitted during public forum
  • Add a new clause as 10.22A that states “Where a motion or amendment has been changed with the permission of the mover and seconder, speakers who have already spoken to the motion or amendment shall be provided the opportunity to speak for an additional three (3) minutes to address the change to the motion or amendment only.”
  • It is proposed to bring items by exception to the start of the meeting to ensure that they are completed early.

Proposed amendments to the existing code are shown in red in the draft code with deletions also shown by a strikethrough.

Submissions from the public shall be received until 5pm on Tuesday 1 November 2022.

Have Your Say

Submissions can be made by

For more information please contact Council’s Group Manager Governance on (02) 6581 8111.