Council last night endorsed the release of the draft Governance Rules and Public Question and Submission Time Policy and is now inviting the community to have its say on the draft documents.

If accepted changes to these policies will include temporary emergency (COVID-19) provisions relating to electronic attendance and participation in council meetings becoming permanent from 2 September 2022.

Greater Geelong Mayor Peter Murrihy;

I welcome the proposed amendments they will continue to make the Council decision-making processes visible and accessible to all.

If adopted these changes will continue to allow the Council to demonstrate transparent and fair decision making.

Open communication and good governance are vital to keeping a positive connection with the community we serve.

Deputy Mayor Trent Sullivan;

The policies are a powerful way to keep the broader community better informed.

These policies support Council to remain clear in its processes and communication to residents and can be a silver lining to what we’ve all experienced living through the COVID pandemic.

The draft policies will be open to a three-week consultation (https://yoursay.geelongaustralia.com.au/governance-rules) with submissions closing on 20 July 2022.

A further report will be presented to Council by September to adopt these policies taking into consideration any feedback from the community engagement.