REVEALED: The 15 council items listed as confidential

THE Bundaberg Regional Council’s brief meeting yesterday had 15 items that were closed to the public.

Bundaberg Regional Council.

THE list of confidential items that Bundaberg Regional Council discusses behind closed doors is getting "outrageous".

Local resident Ron Bridges is a familiar face for council representatives in the public gallery, where he consistently has a presence.

He criticised the list of 15 confidential items that were discussed in the brief council meeting yesterday.

"This is becoming disproportionate, isn't it?" he said.

Mr Bridges also noted the time of the open meeting lasted 15 minutes, which briefly acknowledged the absence of four councillors who formed the delegation to China and Japan, a financial summary, and a proposal to regularly donate to the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

But even discussion regarding the RFDS was limited, with mayor Jack Dempsey cautioning councillors that some facts should not be made public.

The open section of the meeting began at 9.01am, but from 9.16am the confidential items began.

But new topics too late to put on the agenda were also scheduled to be discussed in open business, which would be reopened after confidential discussions, according to the council's chief executive Stephen Johnston.

The council agenda said a lease involving Qantas was discussed confidentially, as was six requests involving water leak relief and sewerage charges, and five discussions involving supplier contracts.

A planned relocatable home park in Avoca was also discussed and involved a request for an infrastructure agreement.

Mr Bridges said he did not understand why contracts were discussed privately by council if under a certain financial threshold.

If in the open council then such discussion would only create competitiveness for local businesses.

Mr Johnston said the confidential section was necessary because councillors would be discussing personal details about ratepayers. He said the meeting also had to cover contracts involving sole providers.