At Open Noosa, as you might expect, we are all about openness… in fact that’s our reason for being! So it’s with great delight that we are seeing the walls come down and the doors opening at Noosa Council under strong guidance from Cr Ingrid Jackson.
This week Greg Smith, president of community watchdog OSCAR – the Organisation Sunshine Coast Association of Residents, endorsed Cr Ingrid’s move to further enhance Noosa Council transparency and disclosure.
The motion will be debated at the Noosa Council meeting tomorrow (Thursday) evening and Smith has written in a note to his members:
“Cr Jackson is to be congratulated for bringing this motion to the Ordinary Meeting of Noosa Council. OSCAR hopes that one of her colleagues at least seconds her motion so the community can see a discussion on some very worthy ideas which if adopted in full or part would enhance Noosa Council’s well-deserved reputation for open and transparent governance.”
We will reserve our judgement on the “well-deserved” remark if and when Cr Ingrid’s proposals have been considered by the Council.
Her proposals have also been welcomed by community groups in the neighbouring Gympie and Moreton Bay regions, which are also encouraging their councils to greater transparency.
Cr Ingrid’s motion reads as follows:
That in line with the Local Government Act principle “transparent and effective processes, and decision-making in the public interest”, Council agree to:
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- Make all informal councillor meetings on council matters open to the public, including councillor workshops, briefings and discussion forums, unless declared to be closed for reasons listed in Section 275 of the Local Government Regulation 2012.
- Request the CEO to make the schedule of such informal councillor meetings publicly available, including any reasons for closure, and to ensure records are kept of recommendations and decisions made at such meetings and included as an addendum to the minutes of the succeeding Ordinary Meeting.
- Institute a public question time at each Ordinary Meeting, during which members of the public may ask questions of Council as a whole, the mayor and councillors, and record the questions and answers in the Ordinary meeting minutes.
- Provide lists of the members of council reference groups, focus groups, stakeholder forums, roundtables, advisory committees and the like on the Council website and have a policy requiring members to declare and record conflicts interest.
- Rescind the 21 June 2018 Council resolution which exempted Committees from the keeping of minutes and request the CEO to ensure minutes of each Committee Meeting are taken under Section 272 of the Local Government Regulation 2012.
- As in the 21 June 2018 resolution, note that the Planning and Environment Committee, Services and Organisation Committee and General Committee meetings will continue to note the movers and seconders of motions in accordance with section 270 of the Local Government Regulation 2012.
- Record in the minutes and any live record notes the names of the Councillors present and how they each voted at Council and Committee meetings.
- Live stream Planning & Environment Committee and Services & Organisation Committee meetings and make such recordings available for future public viewing.
- Investigate bookmarking of agenda items in archived meeting videos for ease of access.
- Publicise that under existing Noosa Council Standing Orders deputations by the public “may be received at a meeting where written application has been received and the Mayor has agreed to such deputation”.
- Publicise that under existing Noosa Council Standing Orders “the local government may allow a non-member to participate in the discussion of a particular item of business before the local government on conditions decided by the local government”.
- Publicise upcoming Council and Committee meetings in a variety of ways, including prominent display on Council’s website, social media and newspapers, highlighting agenda topics and providing links to agendas, attachments and the live streaming webpage, and after meetings publicise the links to meeting notes, minutes and archived meeting videos, as relevant.
- Request the Chief Executive Officer to take the necessary steps to implement these actions.
You can read the whole Agenda document on Council’s website
The Ordinary Meeting is open to the public at Council Chambers 9 Pelican Street, Tewantin, or watch it online on Noosa Council TV.
