Tom Parry
WELLINGTON Shire Council has unanimously adopted a motion to reschedule its meetings for 5pm.
Councillors voted on the change at a regular council meeting on Tuesday, May 2, with the motion moved by Cr Gayle Maher and seconded by Cr Scott Rossetti, who initially suggested the change.
It’s a break with tradition for the shire, which has met at 3pm on the first Tuesday of each month and 6pm on the third Tuesday for the past decade.
According to Mayor Ian Bye, the 6pm meetings were scheduled with consideration to working ratepayers, while the 3pm meetings allowed school children to address council during school.
“We’ve done that for a number of years; we’ve found (with) the three o’clock meeting, we don’t get many people attending,” Cr Bye said.
“So we’ve decided to make the time for the first Tuesday and the third Tuesday for council meetings at five o’clock to make sure that accessibility (for) everyone is a lot easier.”
This sentiment was echoed by Cr Maher at the meeting, who said that the new time would provide “greater consistency and accessibility for our community, councillors and our work colleagues.”
The change will take effect on June 6, with the next council meeting – scheduled for Tuesday, May 16 at 6pm – not impacted.
