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4.7 Who acts if no presiding member
Who acts if no presiding member is dealt with in the Act.
4.8 Quorum for meetings
The quorum for meetings is dealt with in the Act.
4.9 Reduction of quorum for council meetings
The power of the Minister to reduce the number for a quorum and certain majorities is dealt with in
the Act.
4.10 Reduction of quorum for committee meetings
The reduction of a quorum for committee meetings is dealt with in the Act.
4.11 Procedure where no quorum to begin a meeting
The procedure where there is no quorum to begin a meeting is dealt with in the Regulations.
4.12 Procedure where quorum not present during a meeting
If at any time during a meeting a quorum is not present, the presiding member is—
(a) immediately to suspend the proceedings of the meeting for a period of up to 15 minutes; and
(b) if a quorum is not present at the expiry of that period, the presiding member is to adjourn the
meeting to some future time or date.
4.13 Names to be recorded
At any meeting—
(a) at which there is not a quorum present; or
(b) which is adjourned for want of a quorum,
the names of the members then present are to be recorded in the minutes.
PART 5—BUSINESS OF A MEETING
5.1 Business to be specified
(1) No business is to be transacted at any ordinary meeting of the council other than that specified in
the agenda, without the approval of the presiding member or the council.
(2) No business is to be transacted at a special meeting of the council other than that given in the notice
as the purpose of the meeting.
(3) Subject to subclause (4), no business is to be transacted at an adjourned meeting of the council other
than that—
(a) specified in the notice of the meeting which had been adjourned; and
(b) which remains unresolved.
(4) Where a meeting is adjourned to the next ordinary meeting of the council then, unless the council
resolves otherwise, the business unresolved at the adjourned meeting is to be dealt with before
considering employee reports (Clause 5.2(1), Item 10) at that ordinary meeting.
5.2 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/Obituaries
Record of Attendance/Apologies/Leave of Absence
Public Question Time
Disclosure of Interest
Applications for Leave of Absence
Petitions and Presentations
Confirmation of Minutes of the Previous Meetings
Minutes of Committee Meetings to be Received
Recommendations from Committee Meetings for Council Consideration
Announcements without Discussion
Reports—Corporate and Community Services
Reports—Governance and Compliance
Section 2268 - Shire of Dowerin Repeal Local Law 2022 - GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, WA 17 March 2022 | Zoe
Reports—Works and Assets
Urgent Business Approved by the Person Presiding or by Decision
Elected Members’ Motions
Matters Behind Closed Doors
Closure
(2) Unless otherwise decided by the council, the order of business at any special meeting of the council
is to be the order in which that business stands in the agenda of the meeting.
17 March 2022 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, WA 2269
(3) In determining the order of business for any meeting of the council, the provisions of the Act and
Regulations relating to the time at which public question time is to be held are to be observed.
5.3 Motions of which previous notice has been given
(1) Unless the Act, Regulations or this local laws otherwise provides, a member may raise at a meeting
such business as he or she considers 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 under subclause (1) is to be given at least 7 working days before the meeting at
which the motion is moved.
(3) A notice of motion is to relate to the good governance of the district.
(4) The CEO—
(a) with the concurrence of the president or presiding member, may exclude from the notice paper
any notice of motion deemed to be, or likely to involve, a breach of these meeting procedures or
any other written law;
(b) will inform members on each occasion that a notice has been excluded and the reasons for that
exclusion;
(c) may, after consultation with the member where this is practicable, make such amendments to
the form but not the substance as will bring the notice of motion into due form; and
(d) may provide to the council relevant and material facts and circumstances pertaining to the
notice of motion on such matters as policy, budget and law.
(5) A motion of which notice has been given is to lapse unless—
(a) the member who gave notice of it, or some other member authorised by the originating member
in writing, moves the motion when called on; or
(b) the council on a motion agrees to defer consideration of the motion to a later stage or date.
(6) If a notice of motion is given and lapses under subclause (5), notice of a motion in the same terms or
to the same effect is not to be given again for at least 3 months from the date of such lapse.
5.4 New business of an urgent nature
(1) 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.
(2) In subclause (1), ‘cases of extreme urgency or other special circumstances’ means matters 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.
5.5 Adoption by exception resolution
(1) In this clause ‘adoption by exception resolution’ means a resolution of the council that has the effect
of adopting, for a number of specifically identified reports, the employee recommendation as the council
resolution.
(2) Subject to subclause (3), the local government may pass an adoption by exception resolution.
(3) An adoption by exception resolution may not be used for a matter—
(a) that requires an absolute majority;
(b) in which an interest has been disclosed;
(c) that has been the subject of a petition or deputation;
(d) that is a matter on which a member wishes to make a statement; or
(e) that is a matter on which a member wishes to move a motion that is different to the
recommendation.
PART 6—PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
6.1 Meetings generally open to the public
Meetings being generally open to the public is dealt with in the Act.
6.2 Meetings not open to the public
(1) The CEO may, at any time, recommend that a meeting or part of a meeting be closed to members of
the public.
(2) The council or a committee, in one or more of the circumstances dealt with in the Act, may at any
time, by resolution, decide to close a meeting or part of a meeting.
(3) If a resolution under subclause (2) is carried—
(a) the presiding member is to direct everyone to leave the meeting except—
(i) the members;
(ii) the CEO; and
(iii) any employee or person specified by the presiding member; and
(b) the meeting is to be closed to the public until, at the conclusion of the matter justifying the
closure of the meeting to the public, the council or the committee, by resolution, decides
otherwise.