2019-10-14 General Committee Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA   14 OCTOBER 2019


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GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                              14 OCTOBER 2019

                                                                                ATTACHMENT 1
   | ¢   WwW  NOOSA                                                     Policy Guideline
   mm mi      keeeveie                                 PUBLIC QUESTION TIME

   Corporate Plan Reference:                 Theme 5: Excellence as a Council
   Endorsed by Council:                      17 October 2019
   Policy Author:                            Chief Executive Officer

  PURPOSE
  The purpose of the Public Question Time Guideline is to detail the format and requirements for the
  conduct of Public Question Time at Council meetings. Public Question Time is one way for residents
  and ratepayers to raise genuine questions about a matter within the jurisdiction of Council that are
  of concern to them. It assists the community to be better informed about Council matters and
  provides Council with another mechanism to identify issues of importance to the community.
  SCOPE
  Public Question Time only applies to Ordinary meetings.of Council. Public Question Time will not
  be conducted at Council's Standing Committees or Special meetings.
  GUIDELINE
 As part of Council’s ongoing commitment to accountability and community engagement, a Public
  Question Time session will be available.at each Ordinary meeting of Council. It is an additional, but
  certainly not the only way that the community can engage with Council. Our community can already
  phone, email, write or meet face to face with Councillors and staff on a range of issues. Public
  Question Time is not intended to replace those existing engagement mechanisms which are a very
  effective way of interacting with Council.
  Questioners and Councillors should be aware that the protection of Parliamentary privilege does not
  apply to local government, and any statements or discussion at the Council meeting or any
  documents produced are subject to the laws of defamation.
  Public Question Time will. be conducted in accordance with the following guidelines:
  1.   Up to 15 minutes will be allocated at each Ordinary meeting for members of our community to
       ask questions of Council regarding any matter of Council business. The matter does not need
       to be on the agenda for that meeting. Should the 15 minute time limit be reached Council can,
       by resolution:
       1.1.  grant an extension of time; or
       1.2.  refer the remaining questions to be heard at the following Ordinary meeting.
  2.   Public Question Time is not a public forum for debate, making of public statements or making
       allegations or derogatory remarks about Councillors or Council staff and is not to be used as
       a substitute for the formal complaint processes that Council has in place.
  3.   All questions (and associated background information) to be asked at a meeting must be:
       3.1.  submitted in writing using the Public Question Time Form available on Council’s website
             and from the Council office;
       3.2.  lodged by 5pm, 3 business days prior to the Ordinary meeting via email to
                                    or in person at the Council office at 9 Pelican Street, Tewantin.

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