A decision is yet to be made on whether audio recordings of council meetings would be available to the Break O’Day community.
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Councillor Janet Drummond first brought up the idea at the council’s December meeting, with a notice of motion to live stream or record the council’s meetings.
Cr Drummond said her first motion was in regard to live streaming and believed there was some support among councillors for audio recording.
She felt it was a “matter of accessibility” to the community to be able to listen to an audio recording of council meetings.
She again put forward the motion to record audio at the meetings at the council’s January meeting.
Mayor Mick Tucker said the discussion at the previous meeting was in relation to the Local Government Review process, and that the council should wait for the outcome of the review.
Cr Barry LeFevre said the council should wait for the review, as discussed last meeting.
He said he had not had anyone in the community approach him about the audio recording or live streaming of council meetings. However, some people had mentioned they read the meeting’s minutes.
A motion to seek a report into developing a procedure to provide audio recordings of meetings was put to the vote.
As part of the procedure, audio recordings would likely be available to listen to on a channel for six months. The recording would not include moments then the meeting is closed to the public.
Councillors Drummond, Kylie Wright, Kristie Chapple, Lesa Whittaker, and Glenn McGuinness voted for the motion.
However, Councillors McGiveron, John Tucker, LeFevre, and Tucker voted against the motion.
The motion carried.
Some other Tasmanian councils, such as the City of Launceston and Glamorgan Spring Bay Council, record or live stream their meetings.
For more information, the council’s January meeting minutes are available at bodc.tas.gov.au/council/agendas-minutes.