You are able to present a deputation on a topic that is on the agenda for that month's Council meeting. Find out more about deputations and how to request a deputation below.
About Deputations
Deputations allow you to participate in local government by giving you a forum to express your thoughts to the Council on an agenda item. It also assists us in identifying issues of importance to the community and assists the public to be better informed about how the City is governed.
A deputation is a verbal presentation by one or more members of the public. This presentation should not be longer than 10 minutes and Elected Members may ask questions following the conclusion of your deputation.
Deputations on matters to be considered at Council meetings will be received at the relevant Agenda Briefing Forum, usually held one week prior to an Ordinary Meeting of Council. If the matter is a late item, you may apply to make a deputation at the Ordinary Meeting of Council.
If you use PowerPoint slides during your deputation, these will be included with the meeting minutes as it is considered a public record. Any information you provide, including your name and suburb, will also be published.
To ensure time allocated to public deputations at each meeting is effectively and equitably used, we have developed a policy setting out how deputations will be managed. We encourage you to read the Deputations to Council Policy before submitting your deputation.
How to Request a Deputation
Please submit your request by 12noon the day before the meeting. Requests are considered in the order they are received.
If you wish to use a PowerPoint presentation, it will need to be submitted by 12noon on the day of the meeting. Late presentations will not be accepted without prior agreement. To ensure you submit your request and presentation on time, view upcoming meeting dates.
Guidance on Requesting and Presenting a Deputation
The Council prefer deputations to be made at Agenda Briefing Forums, which are held a week prior to the Council meeting. Deputations at Ordinary Meetings of Council will only be permitted in special circumstances.
Deputations can be made by individuals or up to three people, with a maximum of only two people allowed to speak.
On the day of your deputation, please arrive ten minutes before the meeting is scheduled to commence, staff will be available to answer any questions on the deputation process.
Please provide any hardcopy information you would like distributed to the Councillors to a member of staff.
During your deputation, please refer to the Mayor as “Your Worship” or "Mr Mayor”, and please refer to Elected Members as “Councillor” and their last name. Please be aware that no criticism of Elected Members of City staff is allowed during a deputation.
Once you've finished your deputation and answered any questions from Elected Members, you may either leave the Council meeting or stay for the remainder of the meeting if you so desire.
Audio and Visual Recordings
Agenda Briefing Forums and Ordinary Meetings of Council are open to the public and are broadcast live and audio recorded. Audio recordings (including the deputations) may be published on the City’s website in accordance with our Creation, Access and Retention of Audio Recordings of Public Meetings of the Council Policy.