Have your say on the Code of Meeting Practice

The proposal amends the Code of Meeting Practice Policy to include new provisions that allows Council to permit individual Councillors, in the event of natural disasters or public health emergencies, to attend meetings by audio-visual link and to hold meetings by audio-visual link.

In addition, amendments have also been made to the provisions governing the webcasting of meetings and disorder at meetings to reflect amendments to the Regulation since the previous iteration of the Model Meeting Code were prescribed.

An amendment has also been made to the Model Meeting Code implementing recommendation 6 in ICAC’s report in relation to its investigation of the former Canterbury City Council (Operation Dasha). ICAC recommended that the Model Meeting Code be amended to require that council business papers include a reminder to Councillors of their oath or affirmation of office, and their conflict of interest disclosure obligations.

What is a Code of Meeting Practice?

This Code of Meeting Practice has the following objectives:

• to provide guidelines for the procedure for the conduct of Council and Committee Meetings
• to ensure that all meetings of Council and its Committees are conducted in an orderly, consistent and efficient manner
• to ensure that all meetings of Council and its Committees are conducted according to the principles of procedural fairness and due process
• to ensure that all Councillors have an equal opportunity to participate in the meeting to the fullest extent possible, with respect being accorded to the expression of differing views
• to ensure that all Councillors fully understand their rights and obligations as participants in meetings of Council; and
• to ensure that proceedings are transparent and understandable to all persons participating in and observing meetings of Council and its Committees.

Why are we doing this?

The new Model Meeting Code has been published in the Government Gazette and is expected to be prescribed under the Local Government (General) Regulation 2021.

The provisions governing attendance at meetings by audio-visual link are not mandatory. Council can choose not to adopt them or to adapt them to meet their own needs.

It should be noted that in accordance with Council policy and the provisions of the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 – ‘GIPAA,’ confidential information contained within submissions may be released upon a request being made by a third party.