The revised Governance Rules focus on the following key objectives:
- Upholding health and safety obligations to ensure a safe and supportive environment for councillors, officers, and the community
- Enhancing good governance and fostering a culture of transparency and accountability
- Empowering councillors to fully and effectively carry out their roles and responsibilities
- Streamlining meeting processes to improve efficiency and decision-making
Key reforms include:
- Refined public question time processes, including a two-minute speaking limit for community members
- Introduction of meeting time limits, capping meetings at four hours with a provision to extend by 30 minutes
- Introduction of speaking time limits for councillor debate
- Implementation of recommendations from the IBAC Sandon report, including removal of en bloc consideration of reports and recording of councillor voting
- Updated petition requirements, with clearer expectations for valid submissions, including treatment of operational matters, and minimum signatory thresholds
- Registration for community participation updated to midday, the day of the meeting
- Clearer procedures for councillors regarding use of Notices of Motion
- Introduction of community deputations, allowing residents to raise emerging issues directly with councillors
These reforms are designed to strengthen Council's governance framework and ensure the community continues to have meaningful access to decision-making processes.
The new Governance Rules have now come into effect and will be applied for the first time at the Council Meeting on 17 September 2025. Council officers are currently actioning changes to our online forms to support these uplifts.
Council extends its sincere thanks to all community members who provided feedback during the consultation period via the Have Your Say engagement page, and to those who contributed through a formal petition. This input played a valuable role in shaping the final version of the Governance Rules.
A copy of Council's meeting minutes are available here: Minutes of Meeting of the Port Phillip City Council - Wednesday, 2 September 2025.
