About Council Meetings

In accordance with Council's Code of Meeting Practice(PDF, 246KB), Council may hold a Public Forum prior to the Council Meeting for the purpose of hearing oral submissions from members of the public on items of business to be considered at the meeting.

Council will conduct a Public Forum immediately prior to the commencement of the Council Meeting. The Public Forum will commence at 6.30pm and finish prior to 7pm.

Addresses to Council at a Public Forum must be in respect to matters listed on the Council Meeting agenda only and must have prior approval from the Mayor/Chairperson.  Application to speak at a Public Forum must be submitted no later than 12.00 noon on the day of the Council Meeting.

To lodge an application please fill in the Request to Speak at Public Forum Form.

If approval is granted by the Mayor/Chairperson, the applicant (or one person representing a group or organisation); or if there are opposing views, up to two speakers representing each viewpoint, are permitted to address the Public Forum.

When addressing the Public Forum, any person is required to observe the same standards required by a Councillor. Specifically, he or she must:

(a) Obey the direction of the Mayor/Chairperson.

(b) Not use any behaviour or language inconsistent with good order and decorum.

(c) Not make personal reflections or impute improper motives to Councillors or staff.

(d) Speak no longer than 5 minutes.

(e) Not ask questions of the Council, Councillors or Council staff.

Councillors including the Mayor/Chairperson may ask questions of a speaker following their address.

Members of the public addressing a Public Forum are advised that the meeting will be live-streamed and recorded for on-demand viewing via Council's website and your image / voice may be livestreamed. 

Attendance at a Public Forum is to be taken as consent to your image and/or voice being livestreamed. Speakers should refrain from making any defamatory comments or releasing any personal information about another individual without their consent. Council accepts no liability for any damage that may result from defamatory comments made by persons addressing a Public Forum - all liability will rest with the individual who made the comments.  

For further information or assistance please contact Council's Governance Manager, Leanne Austin on (02) 6962 8186

The Local Government Act 1993 (Act) determines the general rules of Council Meetings. It specifies the role of the Mayor, Councillors and General Manager and includes requirements such as: 

• the public access to meetings 
• the number of meetings that must be held during the year
• the minimum number of Councillors that must be present to hold a meeting (quorum)

Council has also adopted a Code of Meeting Practice(PDF, 246KB). The Code determines the rules that are specific to Griffith City Council's meetings. It includes procedures for the general conduct of speeches and matters such as motions or amendments. The Code complies with the Local Government Regulation 2021.

Please note:

• Comments on Facebook made by members of the public during the live-streamed meeting will be moderated 
• The livestream will be stopped during Closed Council (confidential section) and recommenced after Open Council resumes
• The recording will be uploaded to Council’s website as required by the Code of Meeting Practice and also available to view on Facebook for a limited time
• Members of the public may attend Council Meetings in person at 1 Benerembah Street, Griffith NSW 2680
• Members of the public attending a Council Meeting are advised that their image / voice may be webcast. Attendance at the Meeting is to be taken as consent to your image / voice being webcast.

View the Public Gallery Conduct Standards(PDF, 91KB)

Section 10A(4) of the Local Government Act allows Council to permit members of the public to make representations to a meeting before the meeting is closed to the public, on whether the meeting should be closed to the public.

Each speaker will be allowed 5 minutes to make representations, and this time limit is to be strictly enforced by the chairperson.

Speakers must confine their representations to whether the meeting should be closed to the public.

Complete this form by 12 noon, the day of the Council Meeting, if you wish to have a say on the closure of part of the Council Meeting to the public.

Public Representations on the Closure of Council Meetings Form

For more information view the Office of Local Government's guidelines: Guidelines on the closure of council and committee meetings to the public