Public Questions, Submissions and Petitions
Council allows a minimum of 15 minutes for public questions at each Council meeting. If there are not sufficient questions to fill the allocated time, the person presiding will move on to the next item.
If there are more questions than can be dealt with in the 15 minutes allotted, the person presiding will determine whether to extend question time.
Protocols
Members of the public wishing to submit written questions are encouraged to lodge them with the Chief Executive Officer at least 48 hours prior to the date of the meeting via completion of the Public Question Registration Form and submitting it to records@toodyay.wa.gov.au
Each person will be asked prior to the meeting how many questions they intend on asking. This information will be provided to the Presiding Member.
During the meeting, no member of the public may interrupt the meeting’s proceedings or enter into conversation.
The person presiding will control public question time and ensure that each person wishing to ask a question is given a fair and equal opportunity to do so.
A person wishing to ask a question should state his or her name and address before asking the question. If the question relates to an item on the agenda, the item number should also be stated. Two questions are permitted to be asked at a time until a person’s intended number of questions have been responded to
The following general rules apply to question time:
- Questions submitted is for an Ordinary Council Meeting, can relate to any Council business.
- The first priority will be given to persons who are asking questions relating to items on the current meeting agenda.
- Questions should only relate to the business of the council and should not be a statement or personal opinion.
- Only questions relating to matters affecting Council will be considered at an ordinary meeting, and at a special meeting only questions that relate to the purpose of the meeting will be considered. Questions may be taken on notice and responded to after the meeting.
- Questions may not be directed at specific members of council or employees.
- Questions are not to be framed in such a way as to reflect adversely on a particular Councillor or Officer.
- No debate or discussion about the question or answer will take place at the meeting.
- Questions and answers will be summarised and included in the minutes of the meeting.
- If questions cannot be answered at the meeting it will be ‘taken on notice’. A written response will be provided to you (where an address has been provided) and the response will be recorded in the agenda of the next Ordinary Council Meeting.
Any member of the public can make a submission to Council.
What is a submission?
A submission is your opportunity to make a statement to Council. An owner, applicant or any member of the public who has an interest in an item on an Agenda, or generally, can make a submission. Submissions need to be made in person.
How much time is allowed to make a Submission?
You may address Council for up to five minutes unless the time is extended by the Presiding Member.
How do I make a Submission?
Please complete the Submission Registration form and submit it to the CEO at midday, two days prior to a scheduled meeting.
When and how are the submissions given to Council?
Submissions will be received during the submission placeholder in the Agenda for the meeting. It is preferred that submissions are made at Agenda Briefings.
The benefit of making a submission at an Agenda Briefing will be that Councillors are given the opportunity to ask questions and the person making the submission may respond. The Presiding Member will manage the process, asking Councillors if they have any questions for you in order to clarify any information contained in your submission.
If a person chooses to make an ad-hoc submission at an Ordinary Council Meeting there will be no opportunity to ask questions.
You will be invited to present your submission by the Presiding Member (usually the Shire President):
- state your name and address and identify whether you are a ratepayer or resident of the Shire
- comply with any direction from the Presiding Member; and
- complete the submission within 5 minutes
Unless the Presiding Member determines otherwise, a submission which prior notice has been given will be given priority if there is more than one submission to be made at the meeting.
What should the submission include?
Your submission should be concise. Where it is a submission regarding an Officer Report, state whether you agree with or object to the recommendation of the report and include your reasons for agreement or objection of the recommendation.
For all other matters not contained on the agenda, your submission will be received by Council at the meeting and treated as though it was normal business correspondence.
What is a Petition?
Petitions inform the Council, in a public way, of the views of a section of the community and serve as a means of placing community concerns before Council.
Electors of the Shire of Toodyay may petition the Council to take some form of action over a particular issue. For example, petitions may ask the Council to change an existing policy, local law or recent decision, or for the Council to take action for a certain purpose or for the benefit of particular persons.
A petition is to be addressed to the Shire President, be made by electors of the district and contain a summary of the reasons for the request.
Please note the following protocol for submissions of petitions. Petitions MUST:
- be addressed to the Shire President and Councillors;
- be made by electors of the district;
- contain a concise statement of facts and the action sought on the front page of the petition;
- contain the names, addresses and signatures of the elector(s) making the request, and the date each elector signed;
- state the name and address of the person who arranged the petition for correspondence to be delivered to. Correspondence is not sent to all the signatures on the petition.
Petitions should be presented to Council by a Councillor. The Councillor presenting the petition is required to read the petition and if necessary, request that it be referred for an Officer’s report.
Where a petition does not conform to the above, it may be treated as an 'informal' petition and the Chief Executive Officer may forward the petition to Council accompanied by an officer report.
If you wish to lodge a petition to Council, you may use this petition template.