A Tweed Shire councillor is urging his council to get on the social-media bandwagon.
Labor’s Reece Byrnes will move a motion at this Thursday’s meeting calling for Tweed Shire Council to start using social media such as Facebook and Twitter.
’It is time that Council moved into the 21st century in the way it communicates with the community,’ Cr Byrnes said.
‘In the age where much of our news and information is seen first online, many locals have found it frustrating that council does not currently use social media to distribute news, road closures and other important information about the shire.
‘I want to make it easier for residents to have their say with their council on the issues that are important to them.
‘Getting on Facebook and Twitter is a good first step,’ he said. ‘This motion delivers on a commitment in Labor’s Action Plan it took to the 2016 Tweed Shire Council election.’
Cr Byrnes’ motion urges council to extend its communications/media policy to include social media, ‘specifically creating a Tweed Shire Council official Facebook Page and Twitter Page’.
He said in his background notes that ‘many people now only receive their news and information through social media’.
‘This medium of communication will align council with many other government and private sector bodies who already utilise this medium.
‘The policy will allow greater flow of information, transparency and consultation between the public and their council.’
Reece,
The Tweed Link began its first issue on November 12 1996 for the same reason you say here about Social Media in communication with the community.
The Tweed Link began with news, I mean hard news about council but that did not last very long until it went into Public Relations. The Tweed Link has been discussed many times in Council as it is not cheap to run. The cost of production is a way to attack, as social media will be cheaper and the cost of the Tweed Link to the council can be saved whereas Tweed Link communication is only one way.
The community has had opportunities to respond to the surveys on Tweed River in particular.
There has been no feedback or report on findings from this survey.
There has been no decision made on the course of action to take regarding the river useage.
Many people are concerned about one such item of interest – the “jet ski”
I for one want to see some “brave” decisions made by Tweed Shire Council.
I have written many comments and have concerns about the Tweed Coastal environment.
No reply – or no action taken by the Tweed Shire Council.