Revised Standing Orders & Other Related Policies & Procedures

Frank Wilkie67:17

Next item is a revised Standing Orders and other related policies and procedures. I'd like to move an alternate motion. Sorry, thank you. A summary first.

Okay, cool. So this report obviously is got quite a bit of attention and interest, so I'll just see what I can do before we move forward and I know there are a lot of questions that have been proposed, so we can talk about this. Report provides on the legislative changes introduced by the local government. It provides an update on the legislation amendment act 2023, which went into parliament on Wednesday 16 November last year. It includes amendments related to the model meeting procedures, addressing changes to meeting procedures, Councillor contact and investigation processes. Council is required to adopt these amendments, which are included in this report and in the standing order changes, and documented there, and the State is asked to conduct a general review of the Standing Orders of Council meetings policy, which hasn't been done since 2019, and there's been quite a bit of change over that period, if you think back over the years and the way we conduct meetings now with online and the likes. This report seeks to adopt the revised Standing Orders of Council meeting policy, along with the supporting procedures and policies to strengthen governance, transparency and conduct within Council meetings. Just to highlight a number of, and I'll just go through them in summary, just to make a change to the, same. Standing Orders, other than the adopted model needed for procedures, which we are, we will go to day no one. All councils do. You. The first one is petitions. The major change there is that we've taken our sort of referred to in the, Standing Orders that were later a specific procedure, a standalone procedure. We've, done for a number of these. The a petition submitted to make the changes to this, the petition to be submitted a few days prior to the meeting. Previously there was no amendment to the requirement. Uh, the reason for that is to allow the staff to, um, make sure that it's properly, formed and properly presented. We've, done our petition prior to it being made on the table at our meeting and the use of the template provided by Council is encouraged. Um, in terms of the public question time, the major changes are now, a standalone procedure replacing the current public question time guideline. Um, the major change there, or that we're proposing, and again these are recommendations for debate and decision, these are recommendations from the officers, must be submitted five days, five business days, prior to the ordinary meetings as previous in three days. In terms of notified motions, the major change there, and it stays within the scanning orders, so it's not taken out as a separate piece. The major change, any notified motion that commits the Council to expenditure in excess of $10,000, inclusive of staff resources and the entire passport for notified a Council report. Where a motion is likely to commit Council to significant expenditure not included in the adopted budget, then the notified motion must only call for a referral to and for council's consideration as part of its future year's annual budget process. The second piece of data, and I know that it's again gaining some public interest, my and I recognise the people in the audience here today, is the piece from. 1868 section 1848 for Noosa motion referring to the city area. This has been through three workshops and has been, this is proposed, and again it's proposed, it's only a recommendation, again for debate and for decision. It's proposed because what we're looking to do as, the CEO is not to gag, not to, hold back, but simply to try to as an organisation, organising and running this business is to ensure that we continue to, um, deliver, and there's operations and offices we continue to deliver in line with the agreed operational plan, Corporate Plan, and, um, branch plans. So we're going to be able to operate on an annual basis. So it's really just to, ensure. Assure and help and allow us to ensure that happens. Again, this is up for discussion today, but I just wanted to make sure that that's the reasoning. There are a number of councils, so this is not something that we've dreamed up. Are a number of councils that actually already operate under these rules. So it's just something, again, it's a recommendation for Council to decide. It's something that, again, as CEO and as officers, we believe that it just gives us some. Little. Level of control over making sure that we continue on the path that we all agreed at the start of the year in terms of our operating model and our agreed deliverables for that. Year. The next one is public question time. The last one is deputations, sorry. So the major changes there are it's now a standalone procedure. The deputations on specific development applications or other statutory applications before Council are not permitted. Topics should be local government matters. Council has an opportunity to respond to deputations during the meeting. Maximum of three deputations per meeting. Maximum of four deputations per calendar year per applicant or group. And a maximum of five minutes so they are the changes that are proposed, and I'm really glad that they are proposed. And if questions, then we'll. Councillors?

Amelia Lorentson84:12

Do you want to move your I'd like to move my alternate motion, please. Could I please have that on the screen? That Council note the report by the Chief Executive Officer to the General Committee dated 16 September 2024 regarding the amendment of Noosa Council orders and other relevant policies and procedures and a adopt updated Standing Orders for Council meetings policy provided at attachment one and repeal current standing order policy adopted 19 November 2020 subject to the amendment updated Standing Orders section 18 notified motions to delete the following words 18.8 the CEO may reject a notice of motion which does not relate to the objectives roles and function of Council as outlined in the annual operational and Corporate Plan b is vague or unclear in intention c is identical or substantially similar to a notified motion that has been considered by the Council and lost in the proceedings six months d is outside the powers of Council e relates to an operational surplus request or relates to a matter that can be handled under delegation and f is a matter subject to a Council decision-making process which is commenced but is not yet complete b adopt the new petition procedure provided at attachment 2 c adopt the new deputation procedure provided at attachment 3 subject to the amendments of items 1, 3 and 6 and the deletion of item 5 as follows 1 up to 15 minutes will be allocated per deputation at each meeting for members of the community to present deputations a maximum of three deputations per meeting are allowed 3 the applicant must provide Council with the deputation topic and sufficient background material whereby the CEO on receiving an application of a deputation shall notify the Chairperson who in conjunction with the CEO shall determine whether the deputation may be heard the CEO shall inform the applicant of the determination in writing deletion of number five that for deputations per calendar same applicant group will be allowed deletion of number six deputations on specific development applications or other statutory applications before Council are not permitted and replaced with deputations on specific development applications or other statutory applications under Council officers assessment are not allowed deputations will only be permitted on applications reported to Council for determination d adopt the new public question time procedures provided in attachment four and thereby repeal current public question time guidelines adopted on 17 October 2019 and e adopt the Councillor investigation policy attachment seven and repeal current Council investigation policy as adopted on 19th of November 2020.