‘Important they know how the sausage gets made’: Concerns over closed council workshops
The Hobart City Council voted in favour of a major shake-up this week, set to affect how much debate the public will see. Find out what’s changed and why some believe it will lead to secrecy.
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A Hobart City Council alderman says the public needs to see “how the sausage is made”, as the council prepares to halve the number of general meetings and introduce fortnightly closed door workshops, but another Alderman says the community will be more involved.
On Monday the council voted in favour of a new model, which reduces the number of general meetings, which are open to the public and lifestreamed and introduces workshops.
Workshops reports would be presented to the council before matters could be formally considered or endorsed.
Committees will be dissolved, in favour of individual portfolios for elected members.
Each portfolio committee will also meet at least four times a year, but whether these will be livestreamed or open to the public will be discussed in February.
On Monday Alderman Marti Zucco and Councillor Louise Elliot spoke about concerns around transparency, fearing the public would no longer be privy to the same amount of debate.
Alderman Simon Behrakis believed the change would affect the ability of the public to keep the council accountable.
“I think it’s important in the spirit of transparency and accountability to the public that elect us that they know how the sausage gets made,” Mr Behrakis said.
“There’s times when we need to get answers on the record, so council can be accountable for issues facing the city.
Mr Behrakis said if the public was excluded conversations, answers could be sought in other ways.
“My worry is if members of the public and councillors don’t feel like they’ll be able to get answers for their questions, there will be a lot more use of the right to information process,” Mr Behrakis said.
“At the end of the day, all of us that sit in that chamber sit at the mercy of the voting public, we’re there to represent them and be held accountable by them.”
New Alderman Louise Bloomfield believed the new model will allow for greater community involvement.
“We are actually taking eleven different portfolios, that’s 44 extra meetings,” Ms Bloomfield said.
“For the first time, the public are not just allowed to see these meetings, they are allowed to openly participate at the meeting.”
Ms Bloomfield said she’d opt for her portfolio meeting to be livestreamed.
“My understanding was we had the choice … the only thing that could stop me is legal considerations, that wouldn’t be something I had a choice over,” Ms Bloomfield said.
“That could be a level of comfort for people from the public … or some people might find it confronting to be on the screen.
“Every time they’ll scratch themselves they’ll be noticed.”
Ms Bloomfield said workshops would be a space for elected members to learn how to do their jobs.
“I don’t think anyone’s interested in watching me mispronounce words, that’s not in the public interest.
“It’s giving me a safe space to be educated so I can do my best work.
“Ignorance is the bane of good governance.”
‘Screaming for transparency’: Why council meetings will go from fortnightly to monthly
Hobart City Council will halve its number of general meetings and introduce fortnightly workshops, which won’t be livestreamed or open for general members of the public to attend, a move which has raised concerns around the transparency of the council.
What’s changing?
■The council has previously held fortnightly general meetings and fortnightly planning committee meetings, while other committees, parks and recreations, economic development, culture and events, infrastructure and finance and governance were held less frequently.
These meetings were public and livestreamed via YouTube, except for sensitive matters, which were discussed in closed council.
■On Monday the council voted in favour of changing this model, and reducing the number of general meetings from fortnightly to monthly.
■Workshops will be introduced, where items will be discussed, and from that a report will be presented to the council which is where matters will be formally considered or endorsed.
■Committees will be dissolved, in favour of individual portfolios for elected members, the meetings for which will be held on a quarterly or on an as needs basis.
The terms of reference for portfolios will be determined in February.
Portfolio committees will be made up of elected members, along with community members and experts.
■The council will still have a planning authority which will handle planning matters, and its recommended every elected member be on this committee.
Instead of matters being voted on once by the authority and then again by the full council, there will be just one vote by the planning authority.
Concerns around transparency
On Monday, Ald Marti Zucco moved an amendment that the new council workshops be open to the public, live streamed and minuted, unless there were legal, staffing matters, yearly rates or budget determinations being discussed.
This was defeated 8-4, with Mr Zucco, Simon Behrakis, Louise Elliot and John Kelly voting in favour of the amendment.
“If you’re going to live in a fish bowl, you’ve got to think about everything based on the people watching you … it’s going to change the way you speak at a workshop,” Bill Harvey said at Monday’s meeting.
“I’d like the privacy of the workshop to be retained so people can be confident whatever they say, it’s like Chatham House rules and once we’ve started to form decision, that’s the public knowledge.”
On Tuesday, Mr Zucco told the Mercury he believed the model would leave the council less transparent.
“We should be open and transparent to members of the public … There is a total of 37 less open meetings planned for 2022-23 council.” Mr Zucco said.
“We are elected members. We are in a fish bowl and we need to be challenged by members of the public.
Mr Zucco revealed an informal vote, using survey monkey, had taken place outside of the formal council meeting, at an induction for new council members last week.
He feared elected members would have full debates in workshops, away from the observing eyes of the public, and make decisions before they entered the chamber.
“It’s absolutely appalling to have a vote under survey monkey behind closed doors,” Mr Zucco said.
“This to my point of view is undermining the democratic process.
“This is about rubber stamping behind closed doors.”
Ms Elliot said she wouldn’t have a problem with the idea of workshops if the number of council meetings remained.
“Tasmania’s known as the secret state, people are screaming out for transparency and this is absolutely a backwards step,” Ms Elliot said.
“Halving council meeting, halving the opportunity for people to ask questions, the opportunity for elected members to bring motions to the table, that’s not good news.
“I understand the nervousness around things being taken out of context or around reporting but I don’t think elected members’ fear of scrutiny or fear of having to watch their words should override the importance of transparency and accessibility.”
Ms Elliot believed members of the public would have less opportunity to raise issues in a timely manner.
“The council public question time is a last resort, if you’re not getting responses to emails, things like that, you know you can come to council, literally ask a question and you’ll get some sort of written response back,” Ms Elliot said.
“I’ve used that and four out of five new councillors used that, it was available to us on a fortnightly basis.”
“That’s now going to be halved for fellow community members which I don’t think is fair.”
Other elected members support the change
Most elected members supported the new changes.
Acting mayor Helen Burnet said the change would allow elected members to be better informed before they considered a matter.
“The workshops are there to have discussions and introduce topics, they may not be decisions at that point.”
“There’s really good intention in this … what we’re doing is trying to introduce good governance, best practice and resetting and having a higher standard from previous councils.”
Ms Burnet said the model was in line with other councils.
“What we’re looking to do is resetting after a council election, a good chance with new people around the table and a new CEO from last year,” Ms Burnet said.
“What we’ve accepted is to look at best practice around Australia
Ms Burnet said it was a better use of time to remove planning matters from council meetings.
“Essentially the council meetings will be council business other than planning,” Ms Burnet said.
“It separates those functions.”
Ms Burnet rejected criticism around transparency.
“To say its not transparent doesn’t really understand the intention … there is a need to discuss things,” she said.
“It’s not about hampering anyone’s access to the council, I’m looking forward to more discussions around important matters for our city.”
Ryan Posselt believed the council’s transparency would not be compromised.
“There’s going to be community representative, there’s going to be experts, they’ll be free to speak,” Mr Posselt said.
‘While there may be aspects of conversations in the minutes themselves, the crux and the content will go forward for a full council meeting.”
Mr Posselt believed elected members would be able to have more robust debate.
“The workshops structures will give us the ability to work through important issues of the moment,” Mr Posselt said.
“The benefit to that is rather than having five minutes to put your point forward, the workshop allows for actual debate, for back and forth.”
New portfolios and who will chair them
- City Economy, Louise Bloomfield
- Creative City, John Kelly
- Future Hobart, Helen Burnet
- Sustainability in infrastructure, Bill Harvey
- Housing and homelessness, Mike Dutta
- City Heritage, Anna Reynolds
- City Mobility, Ryan Posselt
- City Water, Ben Lohberger
- Welcoming and Inclusive City, Zelinda Sherlock
- Healthy Hobart, Louise Elliot
- Planning Committee Simon Behrakis
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