By Jeremy Sollars
The first meeting of the new Southern Downs Regional Council will be held this Wednesday 15 April, via video-link between the Warwick and Stanthorpe council offices due to COVID-19.
The agenda for the first meeting includes the appointment of a deputy mayor and meeting arrangements for the remainder of 2020.
The new council is made up of Mayor Vic Pennisi and Councillors Ross Bartley, Cameron Gow, Jo McNally, Andrew Gale, Sheryl Windle, Marco Gliori, Cynthia McDonald and Stephen Tancred.
The Electoral Commission of Queensland formally ‘declared’ the result of the councillor election on Saturday and the mayoral result was declared on Monday 6 April.
Wednesday’s agenda also includes the appointment of a chair and deputy chair of the Local Disaster Management Committee and members of the council’s Audit and Risk Management Committee.
One item expected to draw discussion on Wednesday is the use of closed briefing sessions for councillors ahead of monthly meetings.
The issue of closed briefing sessions and council decision-making transparency was raised by a number of candidates during the 2020 election campaign.
Throughout the 2016-2020 council term councillors attended three briefing sessions each month where they could ask questions of council officers, but no records of the proceedings were publicly available and no formal decisions were to be made.
The briefing sessions were closed to the public and to the media.
The agenda for Wednesday’s meeting prepared by council officers refers to the existing meetings policy adopted by the previous Dobie administration which includes briefing sessions, but the new council could decide otherwise.
The agenda states that “general Council Meetings were held on the fourth Wednesday of each month”.
“Briefing Sessions were held on the first, second and fourth Monday of each month and in the event a Monday was a public holiday, the meeting was moved to the Tuesday,” the agenda states.
“Special Council Meetings were held as and when required (e.g. budget deliberations often taking place at a Special Council Meeting and/or urgent Council business).
“Council Briefing Sessions are Chaired by the Mayor.
“They are not a formal meeting of Council and decisions cannot be made at those Briefing Sessions.
“They are provided to better inform Councillors of issues, strategic planning and to allow questions to staff that would often be passed in normal Council debate environments.”
“The Briefing Sessions are not open to the public unless Council agrees prior to the Briefing Session to allow at least two days’ notice.”
• The Free Times has asked for details of how the video-link will be conducted on Wednesday and what arrangements will be in place for media and public attendance at or access to the proceedings of the meeting. Updates to follow…
