Public Questions, Submissions and Petitions
Public Question Time
Public Question Time gives community members the chance to ask Council questions about Shire business during a Council meeting.
Procedures for Question Time is governed by the Local Government Act 1995, the Local Government (Administration) Regulations 1996, and the Shire of Toodyay’s Meeting Procedures (Standing Orders Local Law 2008).
Members of the Public wishing to ask a question at a Council Meeting are encouraged to familiarise themselves with these requirements.
Here’s how it works.
How long is Public Question Time?
- Council allows a minimum of 15 minutes for public questions at each Council meeting.
- If there are more questions, the person presiding may decide to allow extra time
How do I ask a question?
- You must be present at a Council Meeting to ask a question.
- Questions may be submitted either in advance using the Public Question Registration Form or at the meeting.
- Forms must be sent to the Shire by 12 noon on the day of the Meeting
- Questions can be emailed to: records@toodyay.wa.gov.auor delivered in person to the Shire Office at 15 Fiennes Street, Toodyay WA 6566.
If you are unable to submit a question in writing, please contact the Shire as help is available.
What kind of questions can I ask?
- Questions must relate to Council business or matters affecting the Shire.
- At Special Council Meetings, questions must relate only to the purpose of the meeting.
- Priority is given to questions about items on the meeting agenda.
What are the rules during Question Time?
- Questions must be directed through the Presiding Member and asked briefly and respectfully.
- The Presiding Member manages Public Question time and determines how questions are received, prioritised, and responded to during the meeting.
An owner, applicant or any member of the public who has an interest in an item on an Agenda, or generally, can make a submission to Councillors for up to five minutes unless the time is extended by the Presiding Member.
A person wishing to make a submission must complete the Submission Registration form and submit it to the Chief Executive Officer by 12 noon on the day of the formal Council Meeting either in Person at the Shire of Toodyay Administration Office, 15 Fiennes Street, Toodyay WA 6566 or alternatively, via email to records@toodyay.wa.gov.au
Submissions are to be concise. Where it is a submission regarding an Officer Report, state whether you agree with or object to the recommendation of the report and include your reasons for agreement or objection of the recommendation.
The Presiding Member will manage the process which may include giving Councillors an opportunity to ask questions and the person making the submission may respond, in order to clarify any information contained in a submission.
Anyone making a submission is required to state their name and identify whether they are a ratepayer or resident of the Shire when invited to present their submission by the Presiding Member (usually the Shire President).
Anyone making a submission must comply with any direction from the Presiding Member.
Petitions inform the Council, in a public way, of the views of a section of the community and serve as a means of placing community concerns before Council.
Electors of the Shire of Toodyay may petition the Council to take some form of action over a particular issue.
A petition must be in the same format as the Shire’s petition template and must be made by electors of the district and contain a summary of the reasons for the request.
Please note the following protocol for submissions of petitions.
Petitions MUST:
- be addressed to the Shire President and Councillors;
- contain a concise statement of facts and the action sought on every page of the petition;
- contain the names, addresses and signatures of the elector(s) making the request, and the date each elector signed;
- state the name and address of the person who arranged the petition for correspondence to be delivered to. Correspondence is not sent to all the signatures on the petition.
Petitions should be presented to Council by a Councillor and a copy ought to be provided to the Administration prior to it being presented to the Council Meeting.
The Councillor presenting the petition is required to read the petition and if necessary, request that it be referred for an Officer’s report.
Where a petition does not conform to the above, it will be treated as normal business correspondence.