20Meetings of Council

20 Meetings of Council

(1) The Chair or, if for any reason the Chair is unable to act, the Deputy Chair: (a) shall convene such meetings of the Council as he or she considers necessary for the efficient conduct of its business; and (b) shall, on receipt of a written request signed by not less than 4 members, convene a meeting of the Council. (2) The Minister may at any time convene a meeting of the Council. (3) The Chair shall preside at all meetings of the Council at which he or she is present. (4) In the event of the absence of the Chair from a meeting of the Council, the Deputy Chair shall preside at that meeting. (5) In the event of the absence of both the Chair and the Deputy Chair from a meeting of the Council, the members present shall elect one of their number to preside at that meeting. (6) At a meeting of the Council, a quorum is constituted by a majority of members. (7) Subject to subsection (8), all questions arising at a meeting of the Council shall be decided by a majority of the votes of the members present and voting, including the member presiding. (8) In the event of an equality of votes on a resolution proposed at a meeting of the Council, the resolution shall be taken not to be passed but, if the same resolution is proposed at the first meeting of the Council held after the date of that first‑mentioned meeting and there is again an equality of votes, the member presiding has a casting vote on the resolution. (9) The Council may regulate the conduct of proceedings at its meetings as it thinks fit and shall keep minutes of those proceedings.

Note: Section 33B of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 provides for participation in meetings by telephone etc.

(13) If the Council so determines, a resolution shall be taken to have been passed at a meeting of the Council if, without meeting, a majority of the number of members of the Council who would, if present at a meeting of the Council and entitled to vote on the resolution at that meeting, have constituted a quorum of the Council indicate agreement with the resolution in accordance with the method determined by the Council.