27/10/2026
𝘾𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝘿𝙖𝙧𝙬𝙞𝙣 𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙧 𝙋𝙖𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙠 𝙍𝙖𝙡𝙥𝙝 has given notice of a motion on the recording of Council meetings, to be considered at the Ordinary Council Meeting on Tuesday 27 October 2026 (Item 16.2).
At present, the open section of Ordinary Council Meetings is livestreamed on the Council website, but recordings are not made available once the meeting ends.
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙨 𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙡 𝙩𝙤:
1. Note community enquiries about webcasting Ordinary Council Meetings.
2. Receive a report at a future briefing, before 31 March 2027, setting out options for publishing recordings of the open section of meetings on the Council website.
3. Have that report consider the risks and benefits of publishing recordings, with comparisons to other jurisdictions.
4. Treat the report as preliminary, with any future costs, including legal or professional advice, referred to that briefing.
In his notice, Cr Ralph points out that the NT and Federal parliaments, along with other local governments around Australia, already publish recordings of their proceedings.
He argues that making recordings available would let residents see how elected members question, debate and vote, give members a record to refer to when talking with residents, and support people who can’t watch live.
According to the Administration comment, preparing the preliminary report and briefing would take an estimated 30 to 40 hours of officer time from the Governance, ICT and Corporate teams.
