Part 3QUORUM

PART 3—QUORUM 3.1 Number Required For Quorum (1) The quorum for a meeting of a Council or committee is at least 50% of the number of offices (whether vacant or not) of member of the Council or a committee. (2) The Minister may reduce the number of offices of member required for a quorum at a Council meeting specified by the Minister if there would not otherwise be a quorum for the meeting. (3) The Minister may reduce the number of offices of member required at a Council meeting to make a decision specified by the Minister if the decision is one which would otherwise be required to be made by an absolute majority and a sufficient number of members would not otherwise be present or able to vote at the meeting. 3.2 Quorum Must Be Present (1) The Council shall not transact business at a meeting unless a quorum is present. (2) Subject to the provisions of clause 3.2(3) every meeting shall proceed to business at the date and time appointed in the notice of meeting. (3) If at the expiration of half an hour from the time fixed for the commencement of a meeting of the Council a quorum is not present, the Mayor or in the Mayor’s absence, the Deputy Mayor, or in the Deputy Mayor’s absence, the majority of councillors present, or any councillor present alone, or in the absence of the Mayor and all the councillors, the CEO or a person authorised by the CEO, may adjourn the meeting to some future time or date. Business which could have been transacted had there been a quorum at the meeting may be transacted at the resumption of the adjourned meeting or at the next ordinary meeting if that occurs first. If the business is transacted at the next ordinary meeting the adjourned meeting shall lapse. 3.3 Loss of Quorum During Meeting (1) Count Out If at any time during a meeting of the Council a quorum is not present, the Mayor upon becoming aware of that fact shall thereupon suspend the proceedings of the meeting for a period of 10 minutes and if a quorum is not present at the expiration of that period, the meeting shall be deemed to have been counted out, and the Mayor shall adjourn it to some future time or date and time. (2) Debate on Motion to be Resumed Where the debate on any motion is interrupted by the Council being counted out, that debate shall be resumed at the next meeting at the point where it was so interrupted. Where the interruption occurs at an ordinary meeting the resumption shall be at the next ordinary meeting unless a special meeting is called earlier for the purpose. Where the interruption is at a special meeting, the resumption shall be at the next special meeting called to consider the same business or at the next ordinary meeting if it occurs before a special meeting can be called. 3.4 Names to Be Recorded At any meeting at which there is not a quorum of members present, or at which the Council is counted out for want of a quorum, the names of the members then present shall be recorded in the Minute Book.