PROPOSED changes to the way the state government wants council meetings run would fly in the face of recent efforts at Orange to boost accountability, according to some councillors.
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The Office of Local Government has issued a draft code of meeting practice, which if passed would be implemented across the state.
One of the features was a requirement on the general manager to brief councillors confidentially prior to meetings.
However, Orange City Council recently replaced briefings with workshops, open to the public.
Only items involving commercially sensitive information, legal advice, hardship or other matters covered by legislation would be closed.
Councillors Jeff Whitton and Stephen Nugent believed the direction from the state government conflicted with the council’s position.
“I’m a bit confused about why we’re doubling up,” Cr Whitton said.
General manager Garry Styles said the council could ask to change the wording from “the general manager will” to “may” to allow more flexibility.
Cr Whitton was also concerned about another requirement to submit a notice of motion at least 10 days before a meeting.
“I believe that’s going to stifle debate, it’s going to stifle us from bringing forward issues,” he said.
“It could be up to 20 days before we get to that motion – it’s quite common that we will stand up and move a motion from the floor, which I believe under the legislation we are entitled to do.”
Cr Nugent said the ability of staff to defer a notice of motion pending a report seemed to be open-ended.
“I would like to see some timeframes around that,” he said.
Mr Styles said the council already tried to work to 10 working days, but motions could also be accommodated as late items.
Councillor Glenn Taylor suggested a cap be placed on the number of speakers on development applications in the interest of moving through the agenda faster.
“We need to think about that, we need some sort of trip or a mechanism in place where a certain number of speakers [means] a spokesperson is appointed,” he said.
The council will write to the state government pending councillor input.