Noosa Council to live-stream its meetings

Council will broadcast its General Committee and Ordinary Meetings live over the internet, as soon as the appropriate equipment can be installed.

Mayor Tony Wellington says the move will make it easier for residents to observe Council’s decision-making process.

“All of our meetings are open to the public, but it’s not always convenient for people to attend the meetings at our Tewantin Council chambers,” he said.

“Not only will today’s decision see our General Committee and Ordinary meetings streamed live over the internet, we will also record and archive the footage on Council’s website so residents and ratepayers can view it at their convenience.

“I applaud Councillor Ingrid Jackson for raising the issue of livestreaming for Council’s consideration,” the Mayor said. “She has been a champion of this move.”

Cr Jackson said: “The decision to live stream Council meetings, with video recordings made available for later viewing on the council website, is an important step for the Council and residents.

“It’s a sign of the Council’s commitment towards being open and transparent and it will bring the Council closer to the community and the community closer to the Council.

“I am delighted that this great initiative received the unanimous support of Councillors,” Cr Jackson said.

Council will use a fixed-mount, high-definition camera as well as omnidirectional microphones to live-stream and record the meetings.

The choice of technology followed an investigation by Council’s Chief Executive Officer into the options available. Depending on how quickly it can procure the equipment, Council hopes to begin live streaming as soon as January.

The General Committee Meeting is where the debate and discussion around the big issues tends to happen in each meeting cycle, with final decisions being made at the subsequent Ordinary Meeting.

The Mayor said Council would continue its tradition of hosting occasional Ordinary Meetings in different parts of the Shire.

“We have received a good turnout of residents whenever we take our Ordinary Meetings to local halls across the Shire. I wouldn’t like to lose those opportunities for residents to meet with their local government representatives. Unfortunately, we can’t live-stream those offsite meetings due to the technical constraints. But they will be recorded and the footage uploaded to the website,” he said.

20 December 2018