Griffith City Council meetings will be subject to mandatory live-streaming in 2019 after Local Government Minister Gabriel Upton announced a new uniform code of meeting practice for local governments.
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Currently council records its meetings via a microphone link, with the recordings published on their website within days of the sessions taking place.
Mayor John Dal Broi said council welcomes the live streaming changes stating that “we want to be transparent and we have nothing to hide.”
“We’ll have to install cameras in the council chambers, the cameras will be set up to capture each individual councilor and also members of the gallery,” Councillor Dal Broi said.
“It will be well over $50,000 to install the equipment, we didn't want to go (acquiring) equipment until we received the commitment and knew what we had to do.”
The new code of practice also includes limits to manorial minutes, optional time limits on meetings, a five-minute limit on councilor speeches, and uniform rules of debate.
“It probably will encourage council be a little bit more respectful to each other and if they do debate they debate to the issue,” Cr Dal Broi said.
“My job may become a little more difficult because I have to conform to the code and councilors do have a time limit to speak on an issue in the new code."
Cr Dal Broi said council will likely hold more forums among itself prior to meetings to ensure council members are informed on the issues brought up to ensure they speak within the time limit on issues.
However he is confident this will not result in council voting becoming caucused prior to meetings.
Cr Dal Broi said more people will follow likely follow the webcasts when a contentious issue is on the agenda.
“People will have access to the agenda on Thursday Friday and Monday before the meeting on Tuesday, they can log on look at the agenda and if they wish to address council about a particular item, all they have to do is make contact and raise (it),” Cr Dal Broi said.
“Over the years what we have experienced is we get a large gathering in the gallery when there are issues that are a little contentious.”