Some future councillors may rarely attend meetings in the council chamber under a push by Orange City Council.
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It will submit a proposal to the next Local Government NSW conference for a review into how councils are operating during the pandemic and how councillors could attend meetings and vote online.
Cr Stephen Nugent said the use of online attendance, forced on councils by the coronavirus, could become a permanent option.
"[COVID-19] has had a lot of negative impacts on society in general and on our community in particular but I think there are also some positives that have come out of it," he said.
Cr Nugent said attending meetings via Zoom would open standing for council to more people.
"There may be some people with particular disabilities who would struggle to be here in the chamber all the time, but they shouldn't be excluded from the option of being a councillor," he said.
Mayor Cr Reg Kidd said the "world had changed. It opens up the opportunity for a broader range of people to be able to run for local government, particularly younger people who may have children at home, or because of work, or because a disability," he said.
Cr Kevin Duffy said other councils would be addressing the same issue. "I'd rather see them in the chamber, I want to have a look at them when we have a bit of a tiff," he said.
The move was welcomed by Dr Steve Peterson who confirmed he would be standing for council at next September's election.
He said the coronavirus pandemic had shown the value of online meetings.
"I spend 40-50 hours of work on Telehealth. It's fantastic," he said.
Dr Peterson said while it would not replace meetings in person it would make council representation more accessible. "I think it's a great option to have. Some age groups and demographics are more comfortable with Zoom and they are under-represented on council."
Disability advocate Joel Everett, who stood for council in 2017 and is considering standing again, said having a more diverse council would benefit Orange.
"It's not just disability, it's people from different cultures, different backgrounds. It would be great to see more than one female councillor," he said.
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