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Frequently asked questions - Council meetings

Find information regarding the administration of Council meetings, closed Council meetings and confidential business papers.

Who can attend Council / Committee Meetings?

Any person can attend a Council meeting or the meeting of a Committee of which all the members are the Administrator(s)/Councillors.

Members of the public are not entitled to attend other types of meetings (eg, committees comprising of Administrator(s)/Councillors and non-Councillor or informal briefing meetings). Councils can make these other meetings open to the public if they choose to do so.

What parts of a meeting are closed to the public?

Council can close its meeting to the public without further discussion to consider 3 types of matters:

  • Personnel matters concerning particular individuals
  • Matters involving personal hardship of a resident or ratepayer
  • Matters that disclose a trade secret.

Otherwise, Council must consider the reasons why it would close the meeting to the public to be satisfied that discussion of the matter in an open meeting of the Council would, on balance, be contrary to the public interest if discussed in open Council.

It is irrelevant that, when determining whether a matter in an open meeting would be contrary to the public interest if:

  • A person may misinterpret or misunderstand the discussion
  • The discussion of the matter may cause embarrassment to the Council or Committee concerned, or to Administrator(s)/Councillors or to employees of the Council
  • The discussion of the matter may cause a loss of confidence in the Council or Committee.

The Local Government Act 1993 is also clear about whether a Council may receive and consider information or advice concerning litigation or the subject of legal professional privilege unless the advice concerns legal matters that:

  • Are substantial issues relating to a matter in which the Council or Committee is involved
  • Are clearly identified in the advice
  • Are fully discussed in that advice.

Can members of the public have any say on whether a meeting is closed to the public?

Yes. A Council or a Committee may allow members of the public to make representations to or at a meeting, before any part of the meeting is closed to the public, as to whether that part of the meeting should be closed.

How long should the meeting remain closed?

The Local Government Act requires a Council to close their meeting for only so much of the discussion as is necessary to preserve the relevant confidentiality, privilege or security being protected.

How is notice given to the public about matters to be discussed in a closed meeting?

Where the General Manager is of the opinion that items are to be included in a closed part of the Council meeting, the agenda must state the item of business and the reason for it being discussed in a closed meeting. Ultimately, the decision to close a part of a Council meeting rests with the Council. This would mean that the Council may continue to discuss items that have been placed in a closed part of a Council meeting agenda, in open Council. Conversely, where an item has been placed in the open agenda of a Council meeting, the Council may still close the meeting to consider the item, however, only if:

  • It becomes apparent during the discussion of a particular matter that the matter is one for which any of the grounds for closure exist
  • The Council or Committee, after considering any representations made by members of the public, resolves that further discussion of the matter
  • Should not be deferred (because of the urgency of the matter)
  • It should take place in a part of the meeting that is closed to the public.

What information must be recorded in the minutes of a Council meeting where decisions have been made in closed Council?

The Local Government Act requires that the grounds on which the part of a meeting is closed to the public must be stated in the decision to close that part of the meeting. This must be recorded in the minutes of the Council meeting. The grounds must specify the following:

  • The relevant grounds on which the meeting is being closed
  • The matter that is to be discussed during the closed part of the meeting
  • The reasons why the part of the meeting is being closed, including an explanation of the way in which discussion of the matter in an open meeting would be, on balance, contrary to the public interest (unless the matter relates to a personnel matter concerning particular individuals, the personal hardship of a resident or ratepayer or a trade secret).

The resolutions of a Council made during a closed part of a meeting need to be recorded in the minutes of that meeting.

Can members of the public access confidential business papers?

No. Whilst the business papers and minutes of a Council meeting are deemed to be open access information under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009, where a matter is considered in a part of a meeting that is closed to the public, only the resolutions and recommendations of the meeting are open access information.


Should Council receive a request under the GIPA Act for access to a confidential report of a Council meeting, the principles of the GIPA Act apply and the public interest test must be applied in order to determine whether there is an overriding public interest against disclosure, which outweighs the public interest in favour of disclosure.


All Council Meetings are conducted in accordance with theĀ Code of Meeting Practice (PDF, 270KB).