Residents to have say on proposed changes to Council meetings Coffs Coast Coffs Coast - popup ad Coffs Coast News by News Of The Area - Modern Media - December 6, 2024 City of Coffs Harbour Council Chambers. CHANGES have been proposed to the City of Coffs Harbour’s Code of Meeting Practice, with residents invited to provide feedback. At Council’s 14 November 2024 ordinary meeting, councillors resolved to put the draft Code of Meeting Practice on public exhibition. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au If adopted, the new code would affect how council meetings are scheduled and the ability of residents to protest at Council Chambers. Council currently generally meets from 5pm (after the Public Forum if held) on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month from February through to December, with adjustments made for public holidays. Council is suggesting to make this schedule more flexible, with the draft Code of Meeting practice proposing that “council shall, by resolution, set the frequency, time, date and place of its ordinary meetings”. Mayor Nikki Williams said in a statement the change would reflect the “standard approach of adjusting around seasonal holidays”. “The draft code would also free Council to tailor ordinary meetings to meet needs,” Mayor Williams said. Council has proposed adding a clause to clarify that the public cannot speak in meetings in regard to questions on notice, and that discussion or debate on a question on notice is not permitted. Another proposed change is to enable meetings to be held by audio visual link “to cover other situations to ensure the health, safety and welfare of Councillors and City staff”. It has also been proposed that seating in the public gallery for public forums and Council meetings be limited to a number determined by the General Manager prior to each meeting. Councillors would also be required to submit any audio and visual presentations to the General Manager prior to meetings to ensure they do not contain material that is defamatory, breaches copyright or is “otherwise inconsistent with Council’s remit”. Additionally, councillors would be prohibited from sharing these presentations with other members of the council ahead of the GM’s approval. All signs, banners and placards would also be prohibited from the public gallery and the Council Chambers, and a designated area outside would be established to allow citizens to leave signs before entering. A spokesperson for the City of Coffs Harbour declined NOTA’s request for comment about the reasoning for changes related to protests. Have your say until 17 January at https://haveyoursay.coffsharbour.nsw.gov.au/codes-of-meeting-practice.
