Council moves to portfolio model and livestream meetings

The meeting was livestreamed from the stage of the Pilbeam Theatre

Cr Ellen Smith, Cr Tony Williams, Cr Neil Fisher, Cr Shane Latcham, CEO Evan Pardon, Mayor Margaret Strelow, Cr Donna Kirkland, Cr Drew Wickerson and Cr Cherie Rutherford on the livestream of the council meeting on Tuesday.

THE FIRST ordinary Rockhampton Regional Council meeting was held yesterday in an unusual location – the Pilbeam Theatre stage.

Amid coronavirus restrictions, the meeting was livestreamed and the technology at the theatre allowed for this to be done.

The first agenda item was to consider temporarily appointing a portfolio based model to replace the current committees for the time being given the current COVID-19 circumstances.

It was discussed this needed to be further workshopped and the meeting was adjourned after 20 minutes. and resumed at 4pm.

In the previous local government term, council adopted non-delegated standing committees which made recommendations and were endorsed and adopted at the following council meeting.

The committees were Airport, Water and Waste, Communities, Infrastructure, Parks, Recreation and Sport and Planning and Regulatory, along with an Environment and Sustainability Portfolio,

Out of 31 councils across Queensland, Rockhampton Regional Council is among eight council with instituted standing committee frameworks. 13 local governments have a portfolio based model in place, which is what RRC is looking to do.

A portfolio model was proposed at the meeting, in a bid to streamline the decision making at council and in light of the recent reforms instituted by the Queensland Government.

In the new policy, councillors would be allocated to portfolios and would be assigned specific responsibilities linked to them.

The policy outlines that portfolio councillors would be required to familiarise themselves of the strategies, issues and activities of the portfolio, liase with other portfolio councillors regarding matters that may affect their respective portfolio areas and keep the mayor and relevant division councillor informed on portfolio matters.

The portfolio councillor would act as the official council spokesperson on portfolio relevant matters, liase and engage with industry and community groups and present reports at meetings.

An councillor may also be nominated as an assistant portfolio councillor, subject to a council meeting resolution.

The portfolio based model would mean there would no longer be committee meetings.

In the previous model, issues went to the council meeting for approval and then the full council meeting.

This portfolio based model would mean it would just go to the full council meeting.

The new model is temporary and would be assessed in December to consider the reinstatement of the committees in the new year.

Rockhampton Region Mayor, Margaret Strelow, said the councillors were all keen to get down to work.

“We have a great team and now that our portfolio responsibilities are agreed we are all raring to go,” she said.

It was also moved at the meeting that Councillor Shane Latcham and Mayor Margaret Strelow would be appointed to council’s audit and business improvement committee.

The committee consists of three external members and two councillors and is a formal advisory committee which provides council with specialist high level advice, oversight and recommendations related to financial reporting, corporate governance, risk and control, internal and external audits functions.

Council envisages full council meetings would be livestreamed to the public until further notice. The link for the streaming is available on councils website.