Coffs Harbour’s community advisory committees will no longer have to cancel meetings when too few members turn up, under a rule change endorsed by City of Coffs Harbour Council.
Until now, the terms of reference for the City’s advisory committees said a quorum was more than 50 per cent of appointed members.
The amendment means a meeting can now go ahead if more than one voting member is present and the City deems it can proceed.
The change applies to the:
- Australia Day Committee
- Coastal and Estuary Management Advisory Committee
- Disability Inclusion and Access Advisory Committee
- Floodplain Risk Management Committee
- Positive Ageing Advisory Committee
- Sustainability Advisory Committee
- Yandaarra Aboriginal Advisory Committee
“These committees are advisory in nature and don’t make decisions on behalf of Council, so the change is really about enabling useful discussion and feedback opportunities that might otherwise be lost,” said City of Coffs Harbour Business Services Director Hayley Harris.
“As their names suggest, each of these committees has a particular area of interest and the members’ insights can inform Council in the exercising of its authority.”
There is a catch. Committees will still need to reach a quorum to take a formal vote, such as appointing a committee office holder.
At its meeting on Thursday, 22 October, the council also endorsed the appointment of Jane Leach to the Australia Day Committee.
It also approved a shake-up of how members join the Yandaarra Aboriginal Advisory Committee. A staggered membership model will see half of the positions filled every two years.
“Individual appointments would still be for a four-year term but the change will avoid having to replace an entire committee all at once,” Harris said.
“So the new approach will help to maintain a continuity of knowledge and experience in the committee’s membership.”
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