No more video meetings on the go for Ballina Shire Councillors

Dodgy reception and dangerous driving have been cited as concerns prompting a recent majority Ballina Shire Council vote to ban members attending meetings by video in a moving car.

Independent Councillor Phillip Meehan put forward the motion at the council’s April ordinary meeting.

Cr Meehan moved to amend the council’s Code of Meeting Practice to say a councillor must not participate in a meeting by audio-visual link when driving, or sitting, in a moving vehicle, due to two factors.

The first was ‘the inherent safety risks associated with this type of activity’.

The second was the ‘intermittent reception’ for the audio-visual link that ‘typically occurs when a vehicle is moving’.

Staff said the council couldn’t ‘override the mandatory elements of the Model Code of Conduct provided by the Office of Local Government’.

But they said attendance at meetings by audio- visual link related to non-mandatory elements of the Code of Meeting Practice.

Therefore, they said, the motion could be adopted by the council, if supported.

Bruem moves to restrict video call attendance

Independent Cr Rodney Bruem moved unsuccessfully for an amendment.

Cr Bruem suggested an extra two rules be added.

Firstly, Cr Bruem proposed, attendance at meetings by audio-visual means are to be notified to the General Manager and approved by the council prior to the commencement of the meeting.

Secondly, Cr Bruem proposed, attendance at meetings by audio-visual means are to be limited to two Ordinary Council meetings per calendar year, excepting circumstances of personal health or adversity.

‘I don’t think the public should expect there to be councillors who stand for election, and we are obviously months out from an election, who think they can just dial into a meeting,’ Cr Bruem told April’s council meeting.

‘I think, if you are honoured by the community of Ballina, as an elected member of this chamber, you should at the very least, be here in this room, as best you can,’ he said.

Greens Cr Dicker spoke against the amendment.

‘I don’t think these amendments are gender sensitive,’ Cr Dicker said, ‘I can think of lots of reasons why people with caring responsibilities would need to join via audio visual for more than two times a year’.

‘I think there’s a propensity for this to be politicised,’ Cr Dicker said.

Cr Bruem’s amendment lapsed when nobody volunteered to second it.

All councillors voted for Cr Meehan’s original motion except Cr Bruem and Cr Nigel Buchanen, who both voted against.