PART 7—BUSINESS OF A MEETING
7.1 Business to be specified
(1) No business is to be transacted at any ordinary meeting of the Council or committee other than that
specified in the agenda, without the approval of the Presiding Member or a decision of the Council or
committee in accordance with clauses 7.4 or 7.5 of these meeting procedures.
(2) No business is to be transacted at a special meeting of the Council or committee other than that
given in the notice as the purpose of the meeting.
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(3) No business is to be transacted at an adjourned meeting of the Council or committee other than
that—
(a) specified in the notice of the meeting which had been adjourned; and
(b) which remains unresolved,
except where the meeting was adjourned to the next ordinary meeting of the Council or scheduled
meeting of a committee, when the business unresolved at the adjourned meeting is to be the first
business to be considered at that meeting.
(4) Despite subclauses (2) and (3), the CEO may include on the agenda of a Council or committee
meeting in an appropriate place within the order of business any matter which must be decided, or
which they consider is appropriate to be decided, by that meeting.
(5) The CEO may remove any item on the agenda prior to the commencement of the meeting at which
the item is to be considered, and is to advise the Mayor or Presiding Member who will inform the Council
or committee.
(6) The CEO is to provide written reasons for the withdrawal of an item under subclause (5), which are
to be noted in the minutes of the meeting where the item was to be considered.
7.2 Order of business
(1) Unless otherwise decided by the Council, the order of business at any ordinary meeting of the
Council is to be as follows—
Official opening
Attendance and apologies
(a) Members present and employees in attendance
(b) Apologies
(c) Approved leaves of absence
Declarations by Members
Announcements by the Presiding Member without discussion and identification of approved
deputations
Disclosures of interest
Public Question Time
Awards and presentations
Applications for new leaves of absence
Confirmation of Minutes
New business of an urgent nature
Identification of matters for which meeting may be closed
Petitions
Adoption of recommendations en bloc
Reports and related approved deputations
(a) From committees
(b) From employees
Motions of which previous notice has been given
Motions without notice (introduced by absolute majority decision)
Matters for which the meeting is to be closed to the public
Reading of decisions made while meeting closed to the public
Closure
(2) Unless otherwise decided by the committee, the order of business at any ordinary meeting of a
committee is to be as follows—
Official opening
Attendance and apologies
(a) Members present and employees in attendance
(b) Apologies
(c) Approved leave of absence
Announcements by the Presiding Member without discussion
Declarations by Members
Disclosures of Interest
Confirmation of Minutes
Public question time (if applicable)*
Deputations (if applicable)*
Business
Motions of which previous notice has been given
Next meeting
Closure
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Items 7 and 8 in subclause (2) are applicable to meetings of committees to which powers
or duties have been delegated under s.5.16 of the Act.
(3) Unless otherwise decided by the Council or the committee, the order of business at any special
meeting of the Council or committee is to be the order in which that business stands in the agenda of
the meeting.
7.3 Motions of which previous notice has been given
(1) Unless the Act, Regulations or these meeting procedures otherwise provide, a Member may raise at
a meeting such business as they consider appropriate, in the form of a motion of which notice has been
given in writing to the CEO and which has been included on the agenda.
(2) A notice of motion submitted under subclause (1) is to be in the form approved by the local
government and is to be given to the CEO 4 clear working days before the meeting at which the motion
is to be moved.
(3) A motion of which notice is given under subclause (1) is not to—
(a) be of an objectionable nature; or
(b) breach any of these meeting procedures or any written law; or
(c) be similar in intent or substance to a notice of motion or a motion which has been previously
raised or resolved.
(4) The CEO may, after consultation with the member, make such amendments to the form but not the
substance as will bring the notice of motion into due form.
(5) If, in the opinion of the CEO, a notice of motion submitted by a Member contravenes, or is likely to
contravene, subclause (3), the CEO—
(a) shall advise the Member of the suspected contravention or potential contravention, which
unless addressed, may result in the notice of motion being excluded from the notice paper;
(b) may, if the concerns are not addressed and with the concurrence of the Presiding Member,
exclude from the notice paper any notice of motion believed to contravene, or likely to involve
a contravention of subclause (3); and
(c) shall inform all Members on each occasion that a notice has been excluded and the reasons for
that exclusion.
7.4 New business of an urgent nature
(1) In this clause, cases of extreme urgency or other special circumstances means matters—
(a) that have arisen after the preparation of the agenda that are considered by the Presiding
Member to be of such importance and urgency that they are unable to be dealt with
administratively by the local government and must be considered and dealt with by the Council
before the next meeting; and
(b) that, if not dealt with at the meeting, are likely to—
(i) have a significant financial or other adverse effect on the local government or the
community; or
(ii) result in a contravention of a written law.
(2) In cases of extreme urgency or other special circumstances, matters may, on a motion by the
Presiding Member that is carried by the meeting, be raised without notice and decided by the meeting.
(3) Before debate begins on a matter under this clause that is not the subject of a written report by an
employee, the CEO is to give a verbal report to the meeting that addresses the matters in subclause
(1)(b).
(4) If subclause (3) applies, the minutes of the meeting must include—
(a) a summary of the verbal report and any recommendations of the CEO; and
(b) the reasons for any decision made at the meeting that is significantly different from any
recommendations of the CEO.
7.5 Council may agree to consider motion without notice
(1) Council may, by absolute majority decision, resolve to consider a motion without notice that does
not deal with a “case of extreme urgency or other special circumstances” as defined under clause 7.4(1).
(2) A motion moved without notice under subclause (1) shall be limited to seeking a decision that a
matter be investigated and a report submitted to Council or to a committee.
7.6 Announcements by Presiding Member without discussion
At any meeting of the Council or committee the Presiding Member may announce or raise any matter
of interest or affecting the local government and there is to be no discussion on the matter unless the
Council or committee resolves otherwise.
7.7 Distinguished visitors
If a distinguished visitor is present at a meeting of the Council, the Presiding Member may acknowledge
the presence of the distinguished visitor at an appropriate time during the meeting, and the presence
of that visitor shall be recorded in the minutes.
7.8 Presentations
(1) In this clause, presentation means the acceptance of a gift or award by the Council on behalf of the
local government or the community.
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(2) A presentation may be made to the Council at a meeting only with the prior approval of the CEO in
consultation with the Mayor.
Part Part 7 - City of Melville Local Government (Meeting Procedures) Local Law 2022 - BUSINESS OF A MEETING | Zoe