Jane Bremmer stormed out last week’s council meeting
Camera IconJane Bremmer stormed out last week’s council meeting Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Council response time under fire

Julian WrightEastern Reporter

Jane Bremmer used the allocated time to re-ask questions she said she had asked via email in September last year but still had not yet received a response to.

Ms Bremmer asked the Town if it had provided mixed waste bins along Old Perth Road, why it had not provided recycling bins and why it was supporting a high risk biomass incinerator so close to residential areas, which she said placed children’s health at risk.

When an officer told Ms Bremmer that the questions would be taken on notice, she demanded them right away.

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“No I do not want them on notice,” she said.

Ms Bremmer said the officer should already have known the answers and provided them at the meeting because she had asked them months ago.

When the officer reiterated they would be taken on notice, Ms Bremmer collected her things and left the meeting.

Resident Kathryn Hamilton then asked the council about its response procedure, including what the timeline was for getting responses to residents.

Ms Hamilton was told that questions were usually provided by the next council meeting.

A Department of Local Government spokeswoman said responses to questions taken on notice must be included in the minutes of the following meeting.

“Councils that do not do this are in breach of the Local Government (Administration) Regulations; however, the regulations do not prescribe a penalty for non-compliance,” she said.