Meeting Types
The meeting structure and timetable normally provides for two Council meetings and one Planning Services Committee meeting each month. Council meetings are normally held on Tuesday evenings and Planning Services Committee meetings are normally held on Monday evenings. There are no meetings during school holidays.
Below is an explanation of the various meetings.
COUNCIL MEETINGS
Council meetings, consisting of all Councillors, are the formal decision-making forum for all matters under Council’s jurisdiction that are not dealt with in the committee structure. A variety of agenda items are dealt with including strategies, master plans, policies, leases, allocation of tenders etc.
Council Meetings are now open to members of the public to attend. However, to ensure members of the public are adequately socially distant, we can only accommodate 50 people in the gallery.
In order to ensure community safety and comply with the Directions provided by the Chief Health Officer, Council may need to close its Meetings to the public. Where it needs to do so, the Meeting will be livestreamed and accessible on our website.
PLANNING SERVICES COMMITTEE MEETINGS
The Planning Services Committee consists of all Councillors and operates under an Instrument of Delegation, to determine all planning matters in accordance with the Council Plan and the Planning and Environment Act 1987. This includes town planning applications, planning scheme amendments and strategic plans.
For those members of the public wanting to make a submission in relation to an item on the Agenda of a Planning Services Committee, please contact planning@mornpen.vic.gov.au with your name, contact details, details of the item on which you are submitting and whether you are submitting for the application or in opposition. Your registration must be received by 12noon on the day before the Meeting. Planning Services Committee - Terms of Reference(PDF, 149KB)
FORWARD PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETINGS
The Forward Planning Committee consists of all Councillors and deals with items of a strategic and policy nature. These meetings are essentially ‘think tank’ and discussion meetings and are held on an ‘as needs’ basis. The recommendations are forwarded to the next available Council meeting for consideration.
AUDIT AND RISK COMMITTEE MEETINGS
The Audit and Risk Committee meets five times per year and consists of two Councillors and three independent community members. The purpose of the Audit and Risk Committee is to assist Council in the discharge of its responsibilities for financial and performance reporting, maintaining a reliable system of internal controls and fostering the organisation’s ethical development. The recommendations are forwarded to the next available Council meeting. Audit and Risk Committee meetings are confidential and not open to the public.
SECTION 223 SUBMISSION COMMITTEE MEETINGS
The Section 223 Submission Committee hears submissions in accordance with the requirements of section 223 of the Local Government Act 1989. It consists of three Councillors and reports to the next appropriate Council meeting on the submissions heard. These meetings are held on an ‘as needs’ basis.
MEETING PROCESS
The procedures and rules relating to the governing of all meetings are provided for in Council’s Governance Rules and the requirements of the Local Government Act 1989 and Local Government Act 2020. Meetings will be open to members of the public except where Council or the Committee resolves that the meeting be closed to members of the public to deal with matters of a confidential or ‘in camera’ nature.