About Council Meetings

The Town of Bassendean is committed to providing visionary leadership and making great decisions. Find out how this happens and how you can be involved.

The Town is committed to ensuring our Council meetings are a safe work environment, free of risks to the health and wellbeing of Elected Members, Officers and our community.

Any person attending is required to be respectful, courteous and have due regard for individual rights and differences. Individuals may be asked to leave should their conduct adversely affect the health and safety of others. When attending meetings, you agree to abide by these conditions.

Council Briefing Sessions

Council Briefing Sessions are generally held on the third Tuesday of each month. The function of these sessions is to provide the opportunity for Councillors to ask questions about agenda items being presented to the Ordinary Council Meeting the following week.

Briefing Sessions are also a great opportunity for the community to participate. The public may make a deputation at a Briefing Session. Deputations are encouraged at the Briefing Session rather than the Council Meeting to allow Council time to consider the information contained in the deputation before deciding on the matter.

Council Meetings

Ordinary Council Meetings are generally held on the fourth Tuesday of each month. Items on the agenda are considered by Councillors, debated if required and decisions are made. Meetings commence at 6 pm in the Council Chamber, 48 Old Perth Road, Bassendean.

Briefing Sessions and Council Meetings are open to the public (excluding confidential items under Clause 5.23 of the Local Government Act 1995). The public can participate by asking questions, making statements, or presenting deputations.

Briefing Sessions and Council Meetings are livestreamed and recorded.

Public Participation

Members of the public who attend Council meetings must extend due courtesy and respect to the Council or the Committee, and the processes under which it operates. This includes due regard and respect for the rulings and instructions provided by the Presiding Member (Mayor) in accordance with Meeting Procedures Local Law 2020.

A person attending a meeting must not:

  1. Create a disturbance by interrupting or interfering with the proceedings, whether by expressing approval or dissent, by conversing, or by any other means.
  2. Use offensive or insulting expressions (including offensive or threatening body language) in reference to, or directed at, any Elected Member, Officer or member of the community.

The Presiding Member may provide a warning and if, after being warned, the person acts in a manner contrary to the Meeting Procedures Local Law 2020 or refuses or fails to comply with a direction by the Presiding Member, the person may be expelled from the meeting.

Further information on the conduct of the public is available in the Meeting Procedures Local Law 2020.

Public Statements and Questions

All members of the public may participate by asking a question or making a statement during the public participation time at the beginning of each meeting.

Fifteen minutes will be allocated for addresses by members of the public on matters contained in the agenda. Each member of the public is entitled to ask up to two questions before other members of the public will be invited to ask their questions.

Under the Meeting Procedures Local Law 2020, each public statement is to be up to 2 minutes in duration unless the Council decides to extend the time.

Members of the public are encouraged to submit their questions and statements in advance by completing the relevant form:

Please complete this form and submit it to the Town’s Chief Executive Officer by no later than 12 noon on the day of the meeting.

Public Statement Time Form

Public Question Time Form

If a person asking a question is not present at the meeting, then the Mayor can choose to deal with it at the meeting or provide a response by email.

Deputations

The Town’s Meeting Procedures Local Law 2020 allows people to attend Council meetings that are open to the public and make deputations.

Deputations are to be directed to CEO who may either:

  1. Approve the request and invite the deputation to join a meeting online by MSTeams, if the meeting is to be held electronically.
  2. Approve the request and invite the deputation to join the meeting in the Council Chamber.
  3. Refer the request to Council to decide by simple majority whether to receive the deputation.
  4. A summary of the deputation will be recorded in the meeting minutes.

Procedures:

  • No more than five people can make a deputation relating to a single agenda item, and only two may address the Council. Others can respond to specific questions from members, unless otherwise ruled by the Presiding Member.
  • Additional members may be allowed to speak if the Presiding Member allows it.
  • Speakers cannot address Council for longer than 10 minutes unless the Presiding Member agrees to an extension.
  • After the meeting commences, the Presiding Member will announce deputation time and call on the participant. Participants must stand at the public microphone and firstly provide their name, address, and agenda item.

Recordings:

The proceedings of all Briefing Sessions and Ordinary Council Meeting are livestreamed and recorded, except when Council resolves to go behind closed doors. All recordings are retained as part of the Town’s records and used for administrative purposes.

Visual or audio recording of the Council are not permitted without Council’s prior approval.

Request for Deputation

Please complete this form and submit it to the Town’s Chief Executive Officer by no later than 12 noon on the day of the meeting.

If your request is approved, and the meeting is to be held online; you will be provided with a link to join the meeting by electronic means.

Request for Deputation form

Petitions

(1) A petition is to—

       (a)  be addressed to the Mayor;

       (b)  be made by electors of the district;

       (c)  state the request on each page of the petition;

       (d)  contain the legible names, addresses and signatures of each elector making the request, and the date  each elector signed;

       (e)  contain a summary of the reasons for the request;

        (f)  state the name of the person to whom, and an address at which, notice to the petitioners can be given and

       (g)  be respectful and temperate in language; and

       (h)  comply with any prescribed form pursuant to the Act or any other written law.

(2) On presentation of a petition, the petition is to be received and referred for CEO report.

(3) At any meeting, the Council is not to vote on a matter the subject of a petition, unless—

       (a)  the matter is the subject of a CEO report included in the agenda; and

       (b)  the Council has considered the issues raised in the petition.

Presentations

A presentation is the acceptance of a gift or an award and requires approval of the CEO prior to the meeting.

Livestream and Recording

Recordings

The proceedings of all Briefing Sessions and Ordinary Council Meeting are livestreamed and recorded, except when Council resolves to go behind closed doors. All recordings are retained as part of the Town’s records and used for administrative purposes.

Visual or audio recording of the Council are not permitted without Council’s prior approval.

Members of the community can watch Council meetings in the comfort of their homes by watching a livestream or recording of the meeting via YouTube.

Town of Bassendean YouTube

Disclaimer: Recordings are not the official record of a Council meeting. Council cannot guarantee the accuracy or quality of this recording, and it cannot be assumed to be a complete record of proceedings.