Attending Council and Committee meetings

Are all meetings open to the public?

All Council and Committee meetings are open to the public and you are welcome to attend meetings to observe or to speak on matters included in the agenda.

Whilst most agenda items are dealt with in a public forum, there are instances when some agenda items are CONFIDENTIAL, in accordance with S10A(2) of the Local Government Act. CONFIDENTIAL items will be clearly stated in the Business Paper. These items may be discussed in a closed meeting and members of the public may be asked to leave the Council Chambers when CONFIDENTIAL items are discussed.

Items are CONFIDENTIAL if any of the following applies:

• personal matters concerning particular individuals (other than councillors);
• the personal hardship of any resident or ratepayer;
• information that would, if disclosed, confer a commercial advantage on a person with whom the council is conducting (or proposes to conduct) business;
• commercial information of a confidential nature that would, if disclosed:
• prejudice the commercial position of the person who supplied it, or
• confer a commercial advantage on a competitor of the council, or
• reveal a trade secret
• information that would, if disclosed, prejudice the maintenance of law;
• matters affecting the security of the council, councillors, council staff or council property;
• advice concerning litigation, or advice that would otherwise be privileged from production in legal proceedings on the ground of legal professional privilege; and
• information concerning the nature and location of a place or an item of Aboriginal significance on community land.

The grounds on which a meeting is closed to the public must be specified in the decision to close the meeting and recorded in the minutes of the meeting. Before a meeting is closed to the public, Council, or a Committee of the Council, may allow members of the public to make representations to or at a meeting as to whether that part of the meeting should be closed. A member of the public’s representation can only be made for a fixed period immediately after the motion to close the part of the meeting is moved and seconded.

The items that are dealt with as CONFIDENTIAL at Council or Committee meetings are kept to a minimum.

Who can speak at a Council Meeting?

Members of the public may speak on agenda items provided they give written notice to the General Manager before midday on the day of the meeting. Please refer to the Apply to Speak at a Meeting page of this website for instructions on how to give written notice to address a meeting.