Asking questions at Council meetings

Public question time at Council meetings

Scheduled Council meetings feature a public question time, an opportunity for members of the public to ask questions of Council, and to have their questions answered.

Priority will be given to questions that relate to matters listed in the meeting agenda (including speaking to a Petition or Joint Letter).

Asking questions: guidelines and rules

We’ve developed procedures to guide to members of the public who wish to submit questions or statement to a Council meeting.

The guidelines include procedures for administering Rule 48 of our Governance Rules relating to public question time.

Download the rules

Governance Rules June 2024(PDF, 645KB)

Guidelines for questions and question time

When you submit your questions, certain guidelines and procedures apply.

Submit your question before the council meeting

Questions should submitted in writing no later than 12 noon on the day prior to a scheduled council meeting. This gives us opportunity to properly investigate the question and provide a meaningful response at the meeting.

The schedule of Council meeting dates and times is available on our website.

One question only

You can submit up to one (1) question per Council meeting.

This must not be a multi-part question.

Questions should be brief

Keep questions as brief as possible. Submissions should not exceed 200 words.

No introductory or background statements will be read out at the Council meeting.

Questions in English

Your question should be in writing and in English unless this unreasonably prevents or hinders you from participating.

Contact us on (03) 9217 2170 if you need some help.

Unable to attend the meeting

If you’ve submitted your question on time and followed the guidelines, your question will be read out at the Council meeting and a response provided, even if you're unable to attend.

You’re not required to attend the meeting for your question to be read out.

Questions given priority

Certain questions will be given priority:

  • questions or statements that relate to matters that relate to agenda items (including speaking to a Petition or Joint Letter)
  • those submitted prior to 12 noon the day prior to the Council meeting.

Reading out questions at the meeting

  • Questions and/or statements will be read by the CEO’s delegate and a response provided by the CEO. 
  • Only one question can be asked per meeting. If a person submits more than one question, the first question submitted will be read.
  • Similar questions may be grouped together and a single answer provided at the Council meeting.
  • All questions and answers should be as brief as possible, and no discussion may be allowed other than by Councillors for the purposes of clarification.

Responses to questions

The CEO will respond to questions submitted. The question and the answer provided will be recorded in the minutes of the meeting. Members of the public who ask questions will not receive individual responses.

If you don't attend the meeting, you can view the response to your question by accessing the live stream of the Council meeting. Where possible, live streamed Council meetings are also closed captioned.

Access meeting minutes and live streams

Meeting minutes

Following the meeting, the response to your public submission will be documented in the meeting minutes.

Late questions

Any questions received after 12 noon the day prior to the scheduled Council meeting will be held over to the next meeting.

Disallowed questions

Rule 48 of the  Governance Rules detail reasons why questions or submissions may be disallowed.

Prior to the Council meeting, the CEO may disallow a question if it:

  • relates to a matter outside the duties, functions and powers of Council
  • is defamatory, indecent, abusive, offensive, irrelevant, trivial or objectionable in language or substance
  • deals with a subject matter already answered
  • is aimed at embarrassing a Councillor or a member of Council staff
  • is directed at an individual Councillor or a member of Council staff
  • relates to personnel matters
  • relates to the personal hardship of any resident or ratepayer
  • relates to industrial matters
  • relates to contractual matters
  • relates to proposed developments
  • relates to legal advice
  • relates to a Notice of Motion, Petition or item of Urgent Business
  • deals with a matter that should be, or has been, considered as a confidential matter or relates to any matter in respect of which Council may close the meeting to the public under s 66 of the Act
  • relates to matters affecting the security of Council property, or
  • relates to any other matter which Council considers would prejudice Council or any person.

The Executive Manager Office of Council and CEO, or their delegate, must advise the person who submitted the question that the question has been disallowed prior to the Scheduled Council Meeting, and the reason or reasons for the question being disallowed.

Where time permits and where appropriate, the Executive Manager Office of Council and CEO or their delegate may contact the person who submitted the question and work with them to revise their question to remove the ground or grounds for disallowing the question.

If you need support

We’re committed to ensuring that all residents and ratepayers can contribute to our democratic process. We want our residents to feel confident in participating and engaging with us.

Contact us if you need support or would like to discuss 'reasonable accommodations' to submit a question or attend a Council meeting.

Unable to attend a meeting

If you are unable to attend the Council meeting in person for any reason, including because of an ‘attribute’ as defined in the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (e.g. a disability) you may nominate a representative to attend on your behalf.

Need support to submit a question

You may wish to submit a question but:

  • are unable to provide your question in writing and/or in English
  • would like to make alternate arrangements.

If so, please call our Governance Team before a Council meeting on 03 9217 2170 to discuss other ways to submit your question.

Alternative ways to contact us

There are many other ways that you can contact us to ask a question, provide feedback, receive a service or obtain information.

You can contact us:

  • by telephone
  • by visiting the Council offices
  • by sending a letter or an email
  • by speaking with one of our staff out in the community.

Public question time at scheduled Council meeting is just method that you can use to formally contribute to public debate or seek to input to, and obtain feedback from Council. 

See our contact details at the bottom of this page.

Submit your question for a Council meeting

You can submit your question to us in a number of ways.

Submit your question online

Submit your question via our online form.

Submit a question to Council online

Submit your question by email

Download a form and submit your question to civic.administration@whittlesea.vic.gov.au 

Questions to Council form(DOC, 942KB)

Submit your question by fax

You can download the form and submit by fax to 03 9409 9880.

Questions to Council form(DOC, 942KB)

Sumbit your question by mail

Download the form and submit your question by mail to:

Locked Bag 1, Bundoora MDC VIC 3083 

Questions to Council form(DOC, 942KB)

Submit your question in person

Deliver your question to the Customer Service Desk at our Council Offices.

Civic Centre, 25 Ferres Boulevard, South Morang.

Contact us

Email: info@whittlesea.vic.gov.au
Phone:(03) 9217 2170

 

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