Our process

For an ordinary (standard) meeting of Council, at least five days’ notice of the time and place of the meeting will be given. In most circumstances, the upcoming month’s meetings are publicly notified for the start of the month. Extraordinary meeting can also be called with only three days’ notice or even 24 hours’ notice in very exceptional circumstances. Meetings are advertised in the local newspaper, on social media and via Council’s website. 

Meetings are sometimes cancelled for a variety of reasons. If you're intending to attend a scheduled meeting, you may wish to confirm it is still to be held by checking our Calendar of upcoming meetings page or contacting us.

Transparent and accountable decision-making

We’re committed to transparency and accountability in our meetings, workshops and briefings.

We want to make our meetings accessible to the public, and we’ll only close them to the public if there’s a valid reason under legislation. These reasons generally related to protection of personal privacy, professionally privileged or commercially sensitive information, as well as the maintenance of public health, safety and order. If we need to exclude the public from a meeting, we’ll make the reasons for this clear on our website. When these are released, you can also read our Public excluded session decisions.

Although meetings are open to the public, members of the public do not have speaking rights unless prior arrangements to speak to Council have been made. 

Agendas

Meeting agendas are public documents, although on occasion parts may be withheld if certain reasons apply. Agendas set out what will be discussed at the meeting and include information and reports listed on the agenda. Agendas will be made available to the public at least two days before the meeting and can be found on Council’s website. 

Minutes

Minutes of meetings must be kept as evidence of the proceedings of the meetings and must be made publicly available in line with the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987. 

Before a set of minutes are published on the website the Council, committee or community board first has to meet to consider the draft minutes and confirm them as a fair and accurate record of the meeting.

This approach is standard procedure and is reflected in the standing item on each agenda called ‘Confirmation of Minutes’. It is only after this approval process has been undertaken that the full minutes are published on the website.