By ALENA HIGGINS
“ERODING democracy” is how one Southern Downs Regional councillor has described a move to allow council policies to be made “in principle” behind closed doors.
A majority of SDRC councillors voted to adopt a raft of policy amendments last month, including that polices can be adopted in principle during council’s twice-monthly briefing sessions, which are closed to the public and press.
Cr Vic Pennisi, who has previously tabled an unsuccessful resolution to scrap briefing sessions and increase statutory general meetings to twice a month, said the public should be privy to all council debate, except confidential matters in accordance with the Local Government Act.
He said it was important constituents knew where their elected representatives stood.
“In my view, I think briefing sessions are being used incorrectly,” Cr Pennisi said.
“You shouldn’t be forming opinions prior to transparent debate taking place.”
A briefing session is not a formal meeting of council and council must not make a resolution (other than a procedural resolution) in a closed meeting, according to the Local Government Regulation.
It is generally used as a platform for councillors to ask questions of council staff and to better inform themselves on issues relating to the business paper.
Mayor Peter Blundell has been scathing of councillors who fail to attend the non-statutory sessions, saying it showed a distinct lack of respect.
“It is very much the business of council to be briefed on the issues that come before briefing sessions and it is our responsibility to attend,” he said during the July meeting.
The mayor also hosed down Cr Pennisi’s concerns, saying the change was “absolute semantics” and used the resolution they were discussing to prove his point.
“Such things as these policies are discussed at briefing sessions and, as you point out, decisions can’t be made which is why they are brought to general meetings for adoptions and for further discussion if further discussion needs to happen.”
Cr Denise Ingram admitted she was not “overly thrilled” at the thought of attending briefing sessions initially, but had found them helpful as an “information gathering exercise”.
Briefing sessions were introduced more than a year ago for a six-month trial, but have not been reviewed, Cr Pennisi contends.
