In 2020, the Victorian Government introduced new council rules under the Local Government Act to improve how councils and Council Meetings operate.
These rules meant all Victorian councils had to adopt ‘Governance Rules' to ensure Council Meetings are conducted fairly and consistently.
Under City of Casey’s Governance Rules, Council:
- Must have meeting agendas and reports publicly available before the meeting.
- Requires community members to submit questions before the meeting.
This allows Council to prepare and answer the questions thoroughly. - Must have a clear process on decision-making and voting rules at council meetings.
These changes aim to improve how council meetings are run and allow community members to engage with their councillors in a fair and open manner.
Purpose of Council Meetings
The purpose of Council Meetings is to provide community members with the opportunity to understand local government decision making. Your Councillors meet monthly at the Council Meetings to set their policies, adopt corporate plans and budgets, and make other decisions.
Each meeting follows a formal process and set agenda. The agenda can be viewed on Council's website four days before the meeting. The agenda and the Governance Rules assist in keeping the meeting on time so the Councillors can discuss issues and projects fairly and openly.
Before the Council Meeting, Councillors review Council Reports and are briefed by Council Officers so they have all the important information they need to make informed and unbiased decisions.
Attending a Council Meeting
Everyone is welcome to attend a Council Meeting to watch and listen to the discussions and decisions being made. The meeting is also live streamed on Council’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.
Having your question answered at the Council Meeting
Submit your question via Council’s website before the meeting. You must attend the meeting in person to have your question answered publicly. If you can’t attend the meeting your answer will be emailed to you.
All the questions and answers will also be available on the Council Meeting minutes, which is published on Council website the Friday following the Council Meeting.
Submit a question >
Questions answered
Once your question is answered there isn’t the opportunity to make any further comments or ask further questions. This helps ensure everyone gets a fair chance to have their question thoroughly answered.
What to expect at a Council Meeting
The Council Meeting follows the agenda which is set four days before the Council Meeting and is available on Council’s website.
- The Mayor or Chairperson will open the meeting with formal acknowledgements and welcomes.
- Public questions that have been submitted prior to the Council Meeting will be answered.
- Any petitions that have been submitted will be discussed.
- Councillors will discuss, propose and vote on Council reports, local issues or projects.
- Any other matters are raised and then the meeting ends.