Calling on community to have a say on Governance rules

Published on 14 July 2022

Council is reviewing its governance rules and is seeking community feedback on some proposed changes.

Under the new Local Government Act 2020, a council is required to have Governance Rules to govern the conduct of Council meetings and any delegated Council committee meeting.

Mayor, Cr Tim Drylie, said that governance rules are important as they dictate how Council meetings are conducted and how members of the community interact with Council at meetings.

“Governance rules provide the community with certainty around how Council meetings are conducted and ensure that matters are dealt with in a consistent and efficient way,” said Cr Drylie.

Some of the proposed changes include:

• That requirements for petitions be amended so that those signing no longer need to provide a full home address, and some electronic petitions may be accepted.
• That Councillors will be required to submit their written report before the Council Meeting, so that it may be included in the agenda.
• That the minutes will include a timestamp of the council meeting recording to enable the community to readily watch the debate for that item and how each councillor voted for each motion.
• That applicants and objectors be invited to address Councillors at a Councillor Briefing for those applications requiring a Council decision, and current provisions for planning applicants and objectors to address Council Meeting be removed.
• That binary language throughout the rules be amended in line with Council’s Gender Equity Action Plan.

Community members are encouraged to visit https://participate.hepburn.vic.gov.au and complete a short survey.  The survey closes at 5pm on 27 July 2022.

Enquiries can be directed to the Governance team at governance@hepburn.vic.gov.au.

Council will consider the feedback received in response to the proposed changes at the 16 August 2022 Ordinary Council Meeting.