Latrobe City Council endorsed the release of the Draft Governance Rules at the July Council Meeting.
Consultation regarding the Draft Governance Rules is now open, with the community consultation period providing an invaluable opportunity for residents, community groups and stakeholders to review the draft Governance Rules and contribute their insights.
This is the third time that Council has sought community feedback since the Local Government Act 2020 (the Act) was passed by the Victorian Parliament in March 2020, replacing the Local Government Act 1989.
On 7 September 2020 Council resolved to adopt the new Governance Rules, with an amended version being adopted on 2 August 2021. These rules have been in effect since that time.
In reviewing the Governance Rules, Council has endorsed for consultation a set of updated rules to better support In Person (Face to Face), Remote (Virtual) and Hybrid Meetings.
The draft rules highlight:
- The setting of virtual meetings, in person meetings and hybrid meetings.
- The process for a Councillor to request to attend electronically for an in person meeting.
Some of the key changes include but are not limited to changes to support virtual meetings including providing provision for the Chief Executive Officer and/or Mayor to determine whether a meeting will be in a virtual or hybrid format, requirements and responsibilities for a Councillor to attend a meeting virtually and revised requirements for a person wishing to speak at a meeting either in person or virtually.
Additional amendments focus on changes to the process for raising and dealing with Notices of Motion and a revised process for dealing with public questions at a Council meeting.
Under the Act, all Councils must adopt and maintain Governance Rules to prescribe the procedures governing the conduct of Council meetings and Delegated Committee meetings.
Residents can access the draft Governance Rules and provide their feedback through Council's Have Your Say online platform www.yoursay.latrobe.vic.gov.au
The consultation period will run until Monday 7 August.
