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Writer's pictureThe Beagle

First Public Access session for new Council term to be on ZOOM

To ensure that the community are included from the outset in Council matters a decision has been made to avail the first face-to-face between the new councillors and the public via ZOOM to ensure that as many people as wish can view the Public Access session of February 1st at 9:15am. With at least one councillor in isolation, Eurobodalla Mayor Mathew Hatcher says Covid has forced this week’s councillor program online.

The Mayor said councillors would much prefer face-to-face meetings, but being able to hear from the community safely was paramount.

The Mayor said this week’s councillor orientation program would continue over Zoom, but he has high hopes the first Council meeting for the term on Tuesday 8 February will be held in-person in the Council Chamber.

“We’ll meet in-person if we possibly can. As one, the councillors agree on the importance of connecting with residents in the Council Chamber.”

Speaker presentations are published on Council’s website after the session. https://www.esc.nsw.gov.au/council/meetings/public-access-session You can register to watch the Public Access session via Zoom by calling Council’s executive services on 4474 1358 or click on the link below at around 9:10am. Join Zoom Meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83250150526?pwd=cnRZcmtFM2hrTXZTS3dRTkR0OXRpZz09 Meeting ID: 832 5015 0526

Passcode: 180385 Nine speakers have registered to date. Under the old system adopted by the previous councillors, under recommendation from the staff, Public ACCESS presentations were to be conducted in Council chambers and only witnessed by anyone who had the time or inclination to attend at 9:15am one Tuesday per month. The session was not live streamed, not recorded and and therefor not archived for the community to watch at their convenience. The proactive move to put this new term of Council's first Public Access session on Zoom represents the promises made by most of the candidates during the election of restoring openness, transparency and inclusiveness to Council proceedings. The Beagle will advise (link below) of the Zoom link for the Public Access session and will be recording the session for publication (under the Copyright Act of 1968) should Council have technical issues in not being able to record and host the video on their website. Join Zoom Meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83250150526?pwd=cnRZcmtFM2hrTXZTS3dRTkR0OXRpZz09 Given that their current code of meeting practice does not include the recording and display of Public Access and Public Forum sessions the 'work around' to ensure the community are include from day one is commendable. Starting at 9.15am on Tuesday 1 February, members of the public can speak to councillors on any Council-related topic, provided it hasn’t already been before Council.

Each speaker is required to register with Council’s executive services team by 12pm next Monday (January 31st, 2022) and provide a copy of their presentation.

One hour is allocated for Public Access and each speaker has seven minutes.

Speakers will be notified should an online meeting be required.

Details about presenting and how to register are available on Council’s website under ‘Council meetings’. https://www.esc.nsw.gov.au/council/meetings/public-access-session

The first Council meeting will be held on Tuesday 8 February 2021, with the agenda and papers available on Council’s website the week before.


NOTE: Comments were TRIALED - in the end it failed as humans will be humans and it turned into a pile of merde; only contributed to by just a handful who did little to add to the conversation of the issue at hand. Anyone who would like to contribute an opinion are encouraged to send in a Letter to the Editor where it might be considered for publication

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