Tuesday October 29, 2024

Tuesday November 26, 2024

Tuesday December 17, 2024 (third Tuesday due to Christmas)

No meeting in January

Tuesday February 25, 2025

Tuesday March 25, 2025

Tuesday April 29, 2025

Tuesday May 27, 2025

Tuesday June 24, 2025

Tuesday July 29, 2025

Tuesday August 26, 2025

Tuesday September 23, 2025

Tuesday October 28, 2025

Tuesday November 25, 2025

Tuesday December 16, 2025 (third Tuesday due to Christmas)

No meeting in January

Tuesday February 24, 2026

Tuesday March 24, 2026

Tuesday April 28, 2026

Tuesday May 26, 2026

Tuesday June 23, 2026

Tuesday July 28, 2026

Tuesday August 25, 2026

Tuesday September 29, 2026

With changes to the Council’s Code of Meeting Practice and legislative requirements for the conduct of Council meetings, the Council may hold a public forum prior to each Ordinary Meeting of the Council for the purpose of hearing oral submissions from members of the public on items of business to be considered at the meeting. Public forums may also be held prior to Extraordinary Council Meetings and Meetings of Committees of the Council.

Members of the public may only address Council with respect to a matter that is on the Council agenda at a public forum prior to the commencement of the Council Meeting. Applications to speak at the public forum must be received by the General Manager no less than two days before the date on which the public forum is to be held. They must identify the item of business on the agenda of the Council Meeting the person wishes to speak on, and whether they wish to speak ‘for’ or ‘against’ the item.

To speak at a public forum, a person must first make an application to the Council in the approved form.

A person may apply to speak on no more than one item of business on the agenda of the Council Meeting.  Legal representatives acting on behalf of others are not to be permitted to speak at a public forum unless they identify their status as a legal representative when applying to speak at the public forum.

The General Manager or their delegate may refuse an application to speak at a public forum. The General Manager or their delegate must give reasons in writing for a decision to refuse an application.

Approved speakers at the public forum are to register with the Council any written, visual or audio material that is to be presented in support of their address to the Council at the public forum. They will need to identify any equipment needs no more than two days before the public forum. The General Manager or their delegate may refuse to allow such material to be presented. 

The General Manager or their delegate is to determine the order of speakers at the public forum.

Each speaker will be allowed three minutes to address the Council. This time is to be strictly enforced by the chairperson.

Speakers at public forums must not digress from the item on the agenda of the Council Meeting they have applied to address the Council on. If a speaker digresses to irrelevant matters, the chairperson is to direct the speaker not to do so. If a speaker fails to observe a direction from the chairperson, the speaker will not be further heard.

A Councillor (including the chairperson) may, through the chairperson, ask questions of a speaker following their address at a public forum. Questions put to a speaker must be direct, succinct and without argument. Speakers are under no obligation to answer a question put under this clause and answers by the speaker, to each question are to be limited to three minutes. 

Speakers at public forums cannot ask questions of the Council, Councillors or Council staff. 

The General Manager or their nominee may, with the concurrence of the chairperson, address the Council for up to three minutes in response to an address to the Council at a public forum after the address and any subsequent questions and answers have been finalised.  

Where an address made at a public forum raises matters that require further consideration by Council staff, the General Manager may recommend that the Council defer consideration of the matter pending the preparation of a further report on the matters.

When addressing the Council, speakers at public forums must comply with the Councils Code of Meeting practice and all other relevant Council codes, policies and procedures. Speakers must refrain from engaging in disorderly conduct, publicly alleging breaches of the council’s code of conduct or making other potentially defamatory statements.

Download the Addressing Council form