2019-08-06 Services & Organisation Committee Agenda

SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                 6 AUGUST 2019


Proposed reforms
   There is some uncertainty about what is being proposed in the next tranche of local
     government legislative reforms. It seems that unconfirmed minutes are to be required to be
     published within 5 days at the end of the meeting (we currently do it on the same day) and
     that confirmed minutes are to be published immediately after the meeting at which they are
     confirmed (we confirm the minutes at the next Council meeting but don’t currently
     “republish” these after they have been confirmed as they are the same as the unconfirmed
     minutes which have already been published).
   There is also a proposal that the next legislation will clarify that a Councillor can move or
     second the confirmation of the minutes of a meeting despite having a conflict of interest in
     a matter discussed at that meeting.
   It is also understood that the State government is considering removing the exemption for
     Committee meetings not being formally minuted but there is no certainty yet about what
     would then make up the minutes of a Committee meeting given that a Committee meeting
     does not have decision making power. We currently publish the outcomes of all of our
     Committee meetings (being all of the recommendations of the committee to Council as the
     Council is the decision making body).

3.   Closing Council meetings

Current requirements
   Councils can only close their meetings (including the Ordinary, Special or Committee
     meetings) for a prescribed list of reasons.
   No decision can be made in the closed session in the resolution to close the meeting must
     state the reasons why the meeting is being closed.
   In our Council’s case, we rarely close our meetings. According to the Organisation of
     Sunshine Coast Associations of Residents (OSCAR) website who monitor these issues,
     since March 2016, Noosa Council has had 14 confidential sessions through to 30 June
     2019. In the same period, Sunshine Coast Regional Council has had 195 confidential
     sessions.
Proposed reforms
   A reduction in the type of matters that can be considered in closed session is being
     proposed For example, it is proposed that a Council could not go into closed session to
     consider:
     (i)   the appointment or dismissal of a CEO
     (ii) consideration of the Council’s budget
     (iii) decisions under the Planning Act.
     To my recollection, our Council has never considered any of these issues in a closed
     Council or Committee meeting.
   Requiring more detail about the reason why a Council is making a decision to close a
     meeting.
   Clarifying that Councils cannot consider conflict of interest declarations by Councillors in a
     closed session. Our Council has never done this.

4.   Councillor Briefing Sessions

Current requirements
   There are no current legislative provisions that deal with a Council’s briefing sessions for
     Councillors. All Councils in Queensland undertake briefing sessions for Councillors
     (variously called workshops, briefings, forums etc). No decisions can be made by
     Councillors in these sessions.

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