Whittlesea Council cans live streaming debate

Live streaming is a practice used by many Melbourne councils. But Whittlesea Council have voted against the practice five times. Here’s why live streaming will not be mentioned by the council again until December 2020.

Whittlesea Cr Caz Monteleone pushed the council to live stream meetings.

Live streaming of Whittlesea Council meetings has been ruled out until December 2020 at the earliest.

The decision to take the idea of the common filming practice off the table comes after Cr Caz Monteleone moved five motions in recent months, which were all voted down, calling for meetings to be streamed.

Last week, the majority of councillors voted in support of a motion tabled by Cr Tom Joseph preventing the matter of live streaming from being discussed until a newly elected council is formed on December 8, 2020.

Live streaming, which would have enabled people to watch meetings from the comfort of their homes, is used by many Melbourne Councils including Moreland Council who started it in 2014.

Cr Monteleone said live streaming would encourage councillors to be better behaved.

Streaming would also enable greater accessibility and transparency, which were both goals of the council’s long-term strategic plan, Cr Monteleone said.

MORE NEWS: AWARDS RECOGNISE WHITTLESEA'S LIFESAVERS

HOW FATHER TURNED DESPAIR INTO HOPE AFTER SON'S DEATH

MERNDA OLYMPIC POOL DECISION PUT OFF 'INDEFINITELY'

But Cr Joseph said streaming was a “dud”.

“The evidence from other councils is that this is a dud,” he said.

“Nobody watches councillors debating motions, it’s an absolute waste of ratepayers money.”

About $30,000 was allocated in the 2018/19 Council Budget to live stream 11 council meetings this year.

Other councillors said discussions with members of the public indicated there was little support for live streaming.

Cr Alannah Desiato said stopping the streaming debate was a “slap in the face” for community who wanted to attend council meetings but could not.

A report on live streaming by Whittlesea Council officers last year said the practice would “improve transparency in council’s decision-making processes.”