2018-06-12 Services & Organisation Committee Agenda

SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                   12 JUNE 2018


2    QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
As there has been some public interest in this matter, I have set out a series of questions and
answers which explain the matters under consideration.

Q.   Is the current system of Committees, agendas and minutes the same as has been used
     since de-amalgamation in 2014?
A.   Yes - although the names of the Committees have changed slightly. The current system of
     Committees, agendas and minutes is essentially the same as the system used by Noosa
     Shire Council for at least 10 years prior to amalgamation (again, with slightly different
     Committee names).

Q.   What is the role of standing committees established by Council?
A.   The role of standing committees is to consider issues and make recommendations to the
     Council. Although it is possible under the Local Government Act, our Council has not
     delegated any decision-making role to these committees. Their sole purpose is to make
     recommendations to the Council. It is the Council that makes the decision at its Ordinary
     Meeting.

Q.   How are the deliberations of our Committees currently reported to Council?
A.   The following outcomes of all of our Committee meetings are currently recorded in writing:
          the names of all Councillors attending the Committee meeting;
          the details of all items considered by the Committee;
          the details of any Councillor declared conflicts of interest or material personal
           interests;
          all recommendations by the Committee to the Ordinary meeting;
          any changes to staff recommendations (which are reported in the Committee meeting
           agenda) are shown in revision mode.
     The outcomes of the Committee meetings (including all of the details mentioned above) are
     then reported to the full Council and are included in the monthly agenda for the Ordinary
     meeting.

Q.   Are Committee meeting agendas, outcomes of the Committee meetings, Ordinary meeting
     agendas, and Ordinary meeting minutes publicly available on Council’s website?
A.   Yes. The only exception to this is when a report is confidential (pursuant to section 275 of
     the Local Government Regulation 2012) covering matters such as legal action, contracts
     etc. Noosa Council seldom has confidential reports. In these rare instances, the process is
     that the report is kept confidential, the Committee meeting is closed for consideration of the
     specific matter and the meeting is then reopened to the public for Councillors to consider
     the report recommendation. The Committee recommendation then forms part of the
     outcomes of Committee meeting and is publicly reported in the Ordinary meeting agenda.
     The final decision made by Council on the confidential matter is also included in the
     Ordinary meeting minutes.

Q.   What isn’t currently being recorded and reported to Council as part of the outcomes of the
     Committee meetings?
A.   There are two parts to this answer.
     1.   The mover/ seconder of motions at the Planning and Environment Committee and the
          Services and Organisation Committee are not recorded at all. This is due to the
          informal nature of these Committee meetings where matters are dealt with via
          Councillor consensus and therefore motions are not moved by Councillors (refer also
          to the question below on compliance with the Local Government Regulation 2012).


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