What to expect in a council meeting
All formal council meetings are open to the public and you are welcome to attend.
Some meetings, or specific items in meetings, are public excluded. Council must provide a reason why public (and media) should be excluded from a meeting under Section 48 Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987. This includes personal privacy, commercially sensitive information, or legal issues. But generally, council should be open to public scrutiny whenever possible.
You are welcome to attend any council meeting but you cannot interrupt or make comment. If you would like to speak, please request time during the public forum (more information on this below).
Presenting to a council meeting
Ordinary council meetings have a public forum and you can bring up a matter of concern, comment on agenda items, raise petitions, or offer feedback.
Check the agenda so you know the time and place of the meeting and which topics you are interested in and make sure all or part are not confidential.
Please get in touch with the governance team at least three days before the meeting by calling 07 315 3030 so that time can be set aside for you and it can be added to the agenda.
When you call, please let the team know if you have any specific needs such as audio or accessibility assistance. If you will be presenting in te reo Māori, council may need time to arrange translation services.
Most meetings are held in Council Chambers at 101 St John St Ōpōtiki. But sometimes council or community board meetings may be held elsewhere.
What to expect at a meeting
Council and committee meetings have an agenda and follow rules and processes set out in our Standing Orders. This is to ensure everyone has a chance to have their say in an orderly way, decisions are transparent and legal.
The agenda is made available to the public at least two days prior to the meeting. The agenda includes any supporting reports and information required to assist elected members in their decision-making.
The meeting is likely to include the Mayor, councillors and staff (in person or online). Other members of the public and the media may also be at the meeting. Council meetings are livestreamed.
Meetings are organised and run by the regulations set in statute. These include the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987, and the Local Government Act 2002.
Speaking at the public forum
Please arrive in plenty of time as the public forum is usually one of the first items on the agenda. When it is your turn to speak, the chairperson will introduce you to the councillors and invite you up to the table.
If you have written material you’d like to share (please bring enough copies for all members, usually around ten), the governance team can help hand those out.
When you have finished speaking, councillors may ask you a few questions to make sure they understand your presentation. If the matter you've spoken about is not on the agenda, there will be no debate or decisions / resolutions from council. The chairperson may ask staff to prepare a report for consideration at a subsequent meeting.
Following your presentation, you may return to the seats in the public area or leave the Chambers. The meeting will continue according to the agenda.
Please note, all our council meetings are live-streamed.
