2015-03-31 Planning & Organisation Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                        31 MARCH 2015


EXECUTIVE OFFICE REPORTS


7                        AMENDMENT TO COUNCIL'S STANDING ORDERS - ELECTRONIC PETITIONS
DOCUMENT INFORM AT ION




Author                           Chief Executive Officer, Brett de Chastel
                                 Executive Office

Index                            ECM/ Subject/ Council Meetings General

Attachments                      1.   Noosa Council Standing Orders – Amended (attached separately)



EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Not applicable.

RECOMMENDATION
That Council note the report by the Chief Executive Officer to the Planning & Organisation
Committee Meeting dated 31 March 2015 and agree to amend Section 17 of the Noosa Shire
Council Standing Orders 2014 to provide for electronic petitions, and adopt the amended
Standing Orders provided at Attachment 1 to the report.




REPORT
In May 2014, Noosa Council adopted its Standing Orders. Standing Orders set out the
arrangements that govern the conduct of business and proceedings at Council and Council
Committee Meetings.

Section 17 of Council’s Standing Orders outline what is required for a petition to be presented to
Council, and the process for accepting petitions. With advances in technology, electronic
petitions (also known as e-petitions) are becoming increasingly popular. Various websites are
now available which allow people to electronically sign an e-petition, similarly to what was once
solely done via a paper copy.

In 2002 the Queensland Parliament introduced online petitioning and many other local
governments and Government authorities allow for the receipt of e-petitions. It is proposed that
Noosa Council amend its current Standing Orders to include petitions in an electronic format as
an acceptable form of petitioning.




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