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                    Getting involved in meetings

                    If you want to address a committee meeting, or submit correspondence to a committee or the Council, you will need to know what is being considered at each meeting and a few things about how meetings are run. You will also need to think about the most effective way to communicate your point of view.

                    Important coronavirus (COVID-19) update relating to attendance at Council and Committee meetings

                    As part of our efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, and pursuant to the provisions sections 394 and 395 of the Local Government Act 2020, Council and Committee meetings will be held virtually until further notice. During the period 1 May2020 to 1 November 2020 Councils do not need to provide for members of the public to physically attend meetings.  Providing public access to livestreamed events satisfies the public attendance test during this period.

                    Council and Committee meetings will be streamed live and we encourage you to follow the live stream on the Council and committee meetings webpage. Audio and video recordings will also be published on the website following each meeting.

                    We have developed the following options to allow community members to participate virtually in Future Melbourne Committee meetings:

                    In relation to public questions:
                    • Members of the public can submit their public question via the online link on the relevant meeting page by no later than 10am on the day of the meeting. Public questions received in writing will be read out by the Chair of the meeting and either a response will be provided at the meeting, or the question will be taken on notice and a response provided in due course;  OR
                    • Members of the public can register via the online link on the relevant meeting page by no later than 10am on the day of the meeting, they wish to join the meeting (via phone or Zoom) to ask their question live.
                     In relation to submissions:
                    • Members of the public can continue to submit written submissions via the online link on the relevant meeting page by 10am on the day of the meeting via the usual process (written submissions will be considered by Committee members prior to the meeting).
                    • Members of the public who inform us they wish to be heard by the Committee by no later than 10am on the day of the meeting, can join the meeting (via phone or Zoom) to make their presentation (up to three minutes) live.
                    Members of the public who register to make a verbal submission and/or ask a question will be contacted by a member of Council staff and provided with instructions to access the meeting.

                    Being informed about meetings 

                    Agendas, reports and minutes of the current Council and its committees are on our website and available at the customer service desk in the Town Hall Administration Building, 120 Swanston Street, Melbourne.

                    Meeting documentation is published five days before a scheduled ordinary meeting, and we try to publish the unconfirmed minutes of the meeting as soon as possible after the meeting. For all open sessions of Council and Future Melbourne Committee meetings we also publish audio recordings. The published minutes of the meetings will remain the official record of proceedings and decisions.

                    If you would like to be notified when documents are available or when there are any changes to the scheduled meetings, please email com.meetings@melbourne.vic.gov.au. Otherwise, you can complete the Notification of meetings and documentation form (PDF 25 KB) and post it to Council Business, City of Melbourne, GPO Box 1603, Melbourne VIC 3001.

                    Live streaming at the Future Melbourne Committee
                    Since August 2018, Future Melbourne Committee meetings are live streamed. If you do not wish to be filmed at these events, please inform event staff on the night.

                    Getting involved in meetings – FAQs

                    Can anybody address a committee meeting?

                    ​Anybody may address a committee meeting - each speaker is allocated three minutes. Anybody may submit correspondence in relation to any item listed on a Council or committee meeting agenda.

                    No opportunity is provided for submitters to be heard at Council meetings.

                    How do I make a submission?

                    All submissions are to be submitted by no later than 10am on the day of the scheduled meeting for them to be considered. We encourage you to make your submission as early as possible.

                    Your presentation must be provided in PowerPoint format and submitted to com.meetings@melbourne.vic.gov.au no later than 2pm on the day of the meeting. There is no guarantee presentations received after 4pm will be available at the meeting. Submissions and presentations submitted electronically are to be no greater than 2 MB in file size.

                    Submissions or requests to be heard are to be made in writing and submitted either online, post or delivered in person:

                    Council officers cannot accept presentations provided on USB devices at or just prior to the meeting, as all audio visual presentation material must be checked in advance.

                    What should submissions or requests include?

                    Submissions or requests to be heard should include:

                    • the agenda item and report title you want to speak or write about
                    • your key points
                    • the name of the group or organisation you are representing and your role
                    • your contact details, particularly your email and phone or mobile numbers
                    • any equipment you will need to address the committee.

                    What is a referral notice?

                    Where a decision of a committee is made under delegation with less than six members voting in favour of it, the referral notice process is triggered. This means a councillor has 48 hours (from the draft minutes being made available) to request that the item be listed for consideration at the next scheduled ordinary meeting of the Council.

                    What happens where there is a loss of quorum due to conflicts of interest?

                    Where a loss of quorum is imminent due to councillors having conflicts of interest, the following options are available:

                    • Council could resolve to seek an exemption from the Minister for Local Government for any councillor in regard to their conflict of interest.
                    • If the chief executive officer receives declarations of conflict of interest from six councillors he can write to the minister seeking an exemption for those councillors.
                    • If the matter is one that could be determined by a delegated officer, the matter could be determined under delegation.

                    What happens at the meeting?

                    The practice of the committee is to limit submitters to three minutes. The committee encourages those submitters presenting a common position, to either nominate a single submitter on the group’s behalf, or ensure there is no repetition of points made.

                    The Chair will invite submitters to address the committee after the council officer has presented the item. Submitters will be heard in the order of submissions received and must be present at the time the relevant item is considered by the committee or their opportunity to address the committee is forfeited.

                    Where there is significant public interest in a particular matter the order of business may be altered by the committee. The committee may decide not to hear submitters in relation to a matter which is deferred.

                    Can I ask a question at the meeting?

                    Members of the public may ask questions at ordinary committee meetings. A 15 minute period shall be provided for questions at the beginning and end of the meeting. Questions should not be longer than 90 seconds in duration.

                    What level of behaviour is expected at meetings?

                    Members of the public attending Council and committee meetings are expected to behave respectfully at all times.

                    You are not permitted to engage with the councillors or council officers during the course of the meeting unless called on to ask a question during public question time or to make a submission on an agenda item.

                    You are expected to be respectful to councillors when asking a question or making a submission. In particular, you are to refrain from making adverse comments about individual officers. Officers are employees who have a right to be safe and treated with respect at their workplace.

                    If you have a complaint about the conduct of an individual officer, please direct that complaint to the Council’s chief executive officer, preferably in writing.

                    You may be asked to leave the meeting if your behaviour is considered inappropriate, disruptive or rude.

                    How do I make a complaint?

                    ​If you have a complaint about the conduct of an individual officer, please direct that complaint in writing to the Council’s chief executive officer.

                    What are the rules around members of the public filming and recording meetings?

                    Anyone wishing to tape or film council or committee meetings must first receive permission from the Council or committee. Please refer to the guidelines on media access and recordings below.

                    What are the guidelines around privacy?

                    The personal information you provide in your submission (name, email address and phone number) and in any submission attachments you append, is being collected for the following purposes:

                    • inform councillors and relevant Council staff of submissions made in relation to items on the agenda for Council’s statutory meetings
                    • contact you if there are any questions about your submission
                    • ensure your details are accurately recorded in the formal minutes of the meeting
                    • contact you in the event there are last minute changes to the meeting time or venue
                    • advise you of the outcome of a decision, where the Council or committee specifically resolves.

                    Submissions form part of the public record of the proceedings of the meeting (including any personal information you provide) and will be published on Council’s website (accessible worldwide) for an indefinite period. A hard copy will also be made available for inspection by members of the public at Council offices, in accordance with the requirements of the Local Government Act 1989.

                    All submitter’s names are read out during the meeting and recorded in the meeting minutes which are published on our website. An audio recording of the meeting is also uploaded the day after the meeting. A hard copy will also be made available to members of the public at Council offices.

                    If you have any concerns about how Council will use and disclose your personal information, please email privacy@melbourne.vic.gov.au.

                    What security measures are in place?

                    In light of heightened security measures put in place by the Victorian and Australian governments, we have implemented some additional precautionary security measures at some of our facilities.

                    For example, visitors to our public meetings such as Future Melbourne Committee and Council meetings may be asked to present bags for inspection by security staff.

                    It’s a good idea to factor in some additional time when attending a public meeting to minimise delays. These measures are precautionary and are not in response to any specific threat.

                    Investigation into methods of engagement for Council meetings

                    One of the Council Plan initiatives for 2017–18 was to investigate new methods for capturing input for Council meetings. This was later expanded to include Future Melbourne Committee meetings.

                    A discussion paper (PDF 98 KB) was compiled to examine the various methods Council could adopt in an effort to enhance or expand our current meeting processes. 
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