Request to speak

If you are listed to speak, your recorded telephone message will be played publicly as part of the meeting.

Recording a message over the phone is the same as leaving a voicemail.

Messages

• Start by stating you full name and suburb.
• Adhere to our Meeting Procedure Code as it still applies.
• Make sure your message does not contain derogatory, defamatory or personally embarrassing statement of any councillor, member of staff, ratepayer or member of the public.
• Be mindful of personal or sensitive information when addressing Council as it will become public.

Tips

• For your reference, write down the statements you want to present at the meeting separately for each meeting agenda item of interest.
• Practice reading your statements out loud.
• Make sure you can clearly and comfortably read them within the 2-minute time limit.

To record, find a spot that:

• is quiet
• is comfortable for you to sit or stand
• avoids blocking the microphone.

If you are listed to speak, your recorded video will be played publicly as part of the meeting.

Messages

• Start by introducing yourself, full name and suburb.
• Adhere to our Meeting Procedure Code as it still applies.
• Make sure your video message does not contain derogatory, defamatory or personally embarrassing statement of any councillor, member of staff, ratepayer or member of the public.
• Be mindful of personal or sensitive information when addressing Council as it will become public.

Specifications

• Any video format can be used
• Recording quality set to a high-definition minimum standard of 720p (a minimum resolution of 1280x720)
• 1 video file per agenda item
• 1024MB maximum file size
• 2 minute maximum duration
• Landscape format only, turn your mobile phone on its side while recording

Tips

• Being on camera isn’t a natural thing for most people, though you get used to it the more you practice.
• Where possible, try again until you are happy with the results. 

We are committed to creating an inclusive community and will work with you to ensure equitable access is available to support your attendance at our meeting to make this submission.

If you identify a need for assistance or adjustments in your request, the Governance and Integrity Team will contact you to work through how we can make equitable changes to support your meeting attendance.

Proxy

If you are unable to attend the meeting as planned and you require a person to speak on your behalf, you must notify the Governance and Integrity Team before 12pm on the day of the meeting.

Email governance@banyule.vic.gov.au with the name of your proxy speaker and your consent for them to speak on your behalf.

Requests for a proxy after 12pm on the day of the meeting cannot be accommodated.

Under Rule 68 of the Governance Rules and Election Period Policy, the Mayor or Chair may refuse a public question on advice from the Chief Executive Officer and Manager Governance and Integrity.

A question may be refused if it:

• has not been submitted in accordance with Rule 68
• relates to matters outside Council’s functions, powers or responsibilities
• is defamatory, offensive, abusive, indecent, irrelevant, trivial or otherwise objectionable
• has already been answered during the meeting
• is intended to embarrass a councillor or Council staff member, or relates to the personal views or actions of an individual councillor or staff member
• relates to the conduct or performance of a councillor or Council staff member
• concerns personnel matters, personal hardship, industrial matters, contractual matters, proposed developments, legal advice, security matters, or any issue that may prejudice Council or another person
• requires advice from the Chief Executive Officer
• would require an unreasonable diversion of Council resources to prepare a response
• cannot be answered without disclosing confidential information or breaching legislative confidentiality requirements
• relates to a councillor conduct matter that is currently subject to a formal process, such as internal arbitration or a councillor conduct panel process
• relates to information that is legally privileged or subject to an active legal investigation
• has already been asked and answered by Council through the public question process within the previous 12 months

We record our meetings to support transparency and community access. In accordance with section 66(2) of the Local Government Act 2020, any part of the meeting that is closed to the public is not recorded.

Meeting minutes and video recordings are published online. Video recordings are live-streamed online and on our Facebook page, then made available on our YouTube page within 24 hours (subject to technical issues).

During the meeting, the video primarily captures the Mayor and councillors. However, members of the public seated in the gallery, or who move through the chamber, may be incidentally filmed. Comments or noise from the public gallery may also be captured.

• If you speak at a meeting, you will be filmed, and your name and position on the item will be included in the official meeting minutes.
• For speakers submitting written statements to be read out by officers, your name and position on the item is also included in the official minutes.
• If you submit a public question, your name and a transcript of your question will be included in the meeting minutes.
• If you attend the meeting in person to read out your question, you will be filmed and appear in the video recording.

If you prefer to ask your question anonymously, you must request this in advance.

Meeting recordings are retained online for 4 years in accordance with our record keeping obligations. For information about how we manage personal information, refer to our Privacy Policy.

For any council meeting you speak at, be mindful of personal or sensitive information when addressing Council as

• meetings are open to the public and the media may be present
• your name will be listed in the published minutes of the meeting
• your address to Council will feature in the published recording of the meeting (available for a minimum of 12 months).

For all procedural details of council meetings take a look at our Meeting Procedures Code.(PDF, 629KB)

Personal information you provide by completing this form is managed in line with our privacy policy.