About Council Meetings

Council Briefing Sessions

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

Briefing Sessions also provide an excellent opportunity for community participation, allowing members of the public to present deputations directly to Council. By presenting deputations at a Briefing Session rather than at the Council Meeting, Council has sufficient time to thoroughly consider the public’s input and incorporate it into their decision-making process.

For more information on Council Briefings, please refer to Town’s Council Briefing Session Policy.

Council Meetings

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

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.

Public Participation

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

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 in accordance with the Council Meeting Procedures Local Law 2020.

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 Town's Council Meeting Procedures Local Law 2020.

Public Statements and Questions

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. Members of the public are entitled to ask up to two questions before other members of the public will be invited to ask their questions.

Under the Council Meeting Procedures Local Law 2020, each public statement is to be up to two 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 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 Presiding Member can choose to respond to it at the meeting or provide a response by email.

Deputations

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

Deputations are to be submitted in advance to CEO who may either:

Approve the request and invite the deputation to join the meeting in the Council Chamber.
Refer the request to Council to decide by simple majority whether to receive the deputation.
A summary of the deputation will be recorded in the meeting minutes.

Procedures:

A deputation may consist of no more than five people, and only two may address the Council. Others can respond to specific questions from members, unless otherwise ruled by the Presiding Member.
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.

Request for Deputation

Please complete this form by no later than 12 noon on the day of the meeting.

If your request is approved, you will be invited to attend the meeting in person.

Request for Deputation form

Petitions

(1) A petition is to—

(a) be addressed to the Mayor;

(b) be made by electors of the district;

(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.

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.

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

General Meeting of Electors

About the General Meeting of Electors
General Meetings of Electors offer residents and ratepayers an opportunity to review Council's performance and achievements over the past financial year, ask questions, propose motions, and receive the Town’s Annual Report.
Meeting Procedures
In accordance with the Regulation 18 of Local Government (Administration) Regulations 1996, the Presiding Member, generally the Mayor, is to preside at a General Meeting of Electors and shall determine the procedure to be followed as set out below.

Attendance
All members of the general public are able to attend an electors’ meeting and are required to sign the attendance register at the entry to the venue, including their name and address.

Attendees must be verified as a Town of Bassendean elector by the Town’s officers upon arrival in order to be able to:

Ask a question
Move or second a motion
Vote

Conduct at Meetings
The Town is committed to ensuring our Council meetings are a safe work environment, free of risks to the health and wellbeing of Council 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.

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

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

Order of Business
The Act provides that a general electors’ meeting is to be held once every financial year. The general meeting of electors is to be held on a day selected by the local government not more than 56 days after the local government accepts the Annual Report for the previous financial year. The matters to be discussed at the general meeting of electors are to be those prescribed in the Act and the Regulations.

The following order of business will normally apply to a general meeting of electors:

Opening Procedures
Receiving of Annual Report
General Business
• Questions/ statements by the members of the public
• Motions
Closure

Questions and Statements by Members of the Public
During General Business, questions or statements may only relate to matters that affect the Town of Bassendean and will be accepted at the discretion of the Presiding Member.

Speakers are asked to clearly give their name and address each time they speak.

All addresses are to be limited to a maximum of three (3) minutes. Extension of time is permissible only with the agreement of a simple majority of electors present.

To appropriately deal with all questions at the meeting, submit questions to the Town no later than 12pm (noon), Monday 3 February 2025. Questions can be submitted to [email protected].
Proposed Motions
Electors wanting Council to consider a matter can propose a motion to be presented at the General Meeting of Electors. At the General Meeting of Electors, electors may raise any motion related to the responsibilities and functions of the local government. If the motion is endorsed by the electors present, it will be considered at an Ordinary Meeting of Council.

Proposed motions should be provided in writing to the Town either by hand delivery to the Customer Service Centre at 35 Old Perth Road, Bassendean, or via email to [email protected] no later than 12pm (noon), Monday 3 February 2025.

Please include the following information:

First name and last name
Email address
Phone number (not mandatory)
Street address
Details of your proposed motion.

Motions from electors, where presented in writing, will be read aloud by the Presiding Member to ensure that it is clear about what is to be voted on. Motions from the floor will only be accepted at the discretion of the Presiding Member.

Motions are not binding on Council, however, in accordance with section 5.33 of the Act all passed motions (decisions) made at a general meeting of electors are to be considered at the next ordinary council meeting or, if that is not practicable; at the first ordinary council meeting after that meeting; or at a special meeting called for that purpose, whichever happens first.

Process for Motions

The Presiding Member will call for a mover and a seconder for a motion.
Upon a motion being proposed, each speaker is to address the Presiding Member.
Only electors of the Town of Bassendean may move or second a motion.
No motion or amendment is open to debate until it has been seconded. Only one amendment on any one motion shall be received at a time and such amendment shall be dealt with before any further amendment can be received.
Upon a motion being proposed, the Presiding Member will call for speakers to address the Chair.
When addressing the meeting a person is to:
Rise and move to the public microphone unless unable to do so;
State his or her name and address; and
Address the meeting through the Presiding Member.
The mover of a motion (but not the mover of an amendment) has the right of reply, and this closes the debate.
The Presiding Member will then ask for a vote on the motion on the floor.
Each elector has one vote but an elector is not compelled to do so.
Voting is determined by a show of the voting card.
A simple majority carries the vote.

Record of the Meeting
Minutes of this meeting will be available for inspection by members of the public at a later date.

Any motions arising from the meeting requiring action will be presented to the next available Ordinary Meeting of Council for consideration.

Public questions and comments are recorded and there is no protection from legal action being taken against you, should it arise from your comments delivered at the meeting.

Recording and Live-streaming

All participation in the meeting will be audio recorded and live-streamed on the Town’s website.

Speakers are requested to use the microphone each time they speak. No other audio or visual recording is to be undertaken without the permission of the Presiding Member.

The live-stream will be archived and made available on the Town’s website after the meeting.

Tune in to live-stream from the comfort of your own home by visiting: Town of Bassendean Council - YouTube

If you miss the meeting live, visit: Town of Bassendean Council - YouTube