Asking questions at council meetings in 2012

Northern Metropolitan

Banyule: 15 minutes of oral questions are permitted before the formal commencement of each council meeting with a limit of 3 minutes per resident. It can extended to 30 minutes if councillors approve.

Darebin: unscripted oral public questions are permitted for up to 30 minutes during the formal meeting at the start after councillors have reported back on their activities. It is therefore reported in the minutes, as you can see from page 5 on the September 20 minutes which record three questions asked about transparency by Stephen Mayne.

Hume: Council has made provision in the business of the Ordinary Meetings of the Council for the holding of a public question time. Questions (maximum of two per person) which must be submitted in writing on this form to the
Chief Executive Officer by 12:00 noon on the day of the Ordinary Meeting. Standing orders will be suspended for consideration of questions. It is therefore reported in the minutes, as you can see from page 7 on the September 13 minutes which record no questions asked.

Melbourne: Generally speaking, submitters are not heard at Council meetings.

Moreland: Ordinary Council meetings include a Public Question Time segment at the beginning which provides an opportunity for individuals to have their say and discuss issues of interest to them. It is therefore reported in the minutes, as you can see from page 3 on the July 14 minutes which record many questions from the public in a robust discussion.

Nillumbik: Ordinary Council meetings include a Public Question Time segment at the beginning after confirmation of minutes, which provides an opportunity for individuals to have their say and discuss issues of interest to them. It is therefore reported in the minutes, as you can see from page 6 on the September 28 minutes which record two questions asked infrastructure by Andrew Bakos and Anika Van Hulsen posed a question referring to Council's Bushfire Preparedness September 2010 report.

Whittlesea: Council encourages residents to attend and take an interest in the decision-making process. Ordinary Council Meetings include public question time at the end of the meeting, where members of the public may submit written questions to Council. It is therefore reported in the minutes, as you can see from page 74 on the September 28 minutes which record no questions asked.

Yarra: Ordinary Council meetings include a Public Question Time segment at item 6 before general business, which provides an opportunity for individuals to have their say and discuss issues of interest to them. It is therefore reported in the minutes, as you can see from page 3 on the March 3 minutes which record 10 questions asked. If you have a particular issue or question you would like to raise, you can lodge a query in advance for Public Question Time.

Other Metropolitan Councils

Ballarat: Ordinary Council meetings include a Public Question Time segment at the beginning of the meeting, which provides an opportunity for individuals to have their say. It is therefore reported in the minutes, as you can see from page 5 on the September 8 minutes which record 1 question from the public.

Bayside: Ordinary Council meetings include a Public Question Time segment at the beginning, which provides an opportunity for individuals to have their say and discuss issues of interest to them. A written request must be submitted by 11am the previous day. Up to fifteen minutes will be allowed for the answering of all questions. A person must not submit more than two questions to a Council Meeting and must be present. It is therefore reported in the minutes, as you can see from page 4 on the September 28 minutes which record 4 questions from the public.

Booroondarra: written questions are to be submitted in writing before the meeting, and are addressed at the beginning of the meeting. You are encouraged to submit questions on the Thursday before the meeting date. It is therefore reported in the minutes, as you can see from page 4 on the July 26 minutes which record 2 questions asked.

Brimbank: The public have the opportunity to raise questions before an Ordinary Council Meeting, which are then answered in the Council Chamber at the beginning before general business. Questions must be submitted on a Council Public Question form. It is therefore reported in the minutes, as you can see from page 6 on the September 28 minutes which record many questions from the public.

Casey: questions are allowed at the beginning, after confirmation of minutes, but the questioner must be present when the question is read, a maximum of two questions from any one person are allowed at each meeting. It is therefore reported in the minutes, as you can see from the September 10 minutes which record no questions asked.

Frankston City: A Public Question Time is held at the beginning of each Ordinary Meeting where questions with and without notice are addressed. A maximum of three questions will be permitted per resident per meeting. It is therefore reported in the minutes, as you can see from page 3 on the July 5 minutes which record many sumissions from the public.

Glen Eira: Public Questions may be asked at Ordinary Meetings of Council in which case they feature in the Minutes of the Meeting as the last item of business as you can see here in the September 21 minutes where Nick Varvodic peppered the meeting with no less than 8 questions.

Greater Bendigo: The public question time is held at the start of the meeting as close as practical to 6:00pm. A maximum of 30 minutes has been provided for registered and unregistered questions. It is therefore reported in the minutes, as you can see from page 5 on the August 18 minutes which record no questions from the public.

Greater Dandenong: Ordinary Council meetings include a Public Question Time segment at the end of the meeting, which provides an opportunity for individuals to have their say. It is therefore reported in the minutes, as you can see from page 132 on the September 27 minutes which record 2 questions from the public.

Greater Geelong: Ordinary Council meetings include a Public Question Time segment at the beginning of the meeting, which provides an opportunity for individuals to have their say. It is therefore reported in the minutes, as you can see from page 4 on the September 28 minutes which record 12 question from the public.

Kingston: are very open and members of the public are encouraged to email the mayor anytime. Unscripted public questions are permitted during the formal meeting at 8pm always. It is therefore reported in the minutes, as you can see from page 126 on the February 8 minutes which record 4 members of the public, including David Orford who asked 4 questions on planning.

Knox: Council Meeting procedure includes public question time as a standard 3rd item on the Agenda in order to facilitate community participation in the meeting. It is therefore reported in the minutes, as you can see from page 27 on the September 28 minutes which record 3 questions from the public on city development.

Manningham: Ordinary Council meetings include a Public Question Time segment at the end of the meeting, which provides an opportunity for individuals to have their say. It is therefore reported in the minutes, as you can see from page 127 on the September 28 minutes which record 2 questions from the public.

Maroondah: question time is the second order of business at every Ordinary Meeting, to enable the general public to submit questions to Councillors or members of Council staff. Up to fifteen minutes will be allowed for the answering of all questions. A person must not submit more than two questions to a Council Meeting and must be present. It is therefore reported in the minutes, as you can see from page 4 on the August 16 minutes which record questions had been received in regard to Council's Domestic Animal Management Plan.

Melton: Persons present in the Public Gallery will be given the opportunity to present any questions to Council during the meeting at the beginning, before items of business. All questions must be in writing and placed in the facility available in the Council Chamber Foyer by 7 pm on the evening of the meeting. A limit of one question per person per meeting will apply. It is therefore reported in the minutes, as you can see from page 2 on the September 27 minutes which record a number of questions from the public.

Moonee Valley: From 6pm to 6.45pm, there is public forum and question time, and covers listed presentations, issues raised by citizens and questions without notice, so therefore it is not listed in the minutes. Formal meeting begins at 7pm.

Port Phillip: Ordinary Council meetings include a Public Question Time segment at the beginning of the meeting, which provides an opportunity for individuals to have their say. It is therefore reported in the minutes, as you can see from page 6 on the August 23 minutes which record 1 question from the public.

Stonnington: unscripted public questions are permitted during the formal meeting at the beginning. It is therefore reported in the minutes, as you can see from page 4 on the September 6 minutes which record no questions asked.

Whitehorse: Only Councillors may speak at the meeting, and officers if requested to do so. There is a question box inside the door of the chamber, into which written questions can be placed prior to the meeting. There is a limit of two questions per person.

Wyndham: allow written questions only, with notice, from the public gallery are addressed at the end of formal business. It is therefore reported in the minutes, as you can see from page 83 on the August 2 minutes which record many questions asked.

Yarra Ranges: The public is invited to submit questions to the Council Meeting via phone, email, online form on the Shire website, or on forms provided in all Council Community Links. They can be lodged until 5pm on the day of the Council Meeting. A maximum of 15 minutes each meeting will be allocated to Question Time at the beginning as the last item before business. A limit of one question per person per meeting will apply. It is therefore reported in the minutes, as you can see from page 6 on the September 28 minutes which record 1 question from the public on failed correspondence.

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