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YOUR REPRESENTATIVES: Community groups can now book regular meetings with Whyalla's elected members and the Council CEO.
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
The City of Whyalla is continuing its policy of open and positive engagement with an invite for community groups to meet with Council on a regular basis.
Council is inviting incorporated groups to book in for scheduled quarterly meetings with the Mayor, CEO and elected members. The meetings, to be held in the Council chamber, will allow groups to speak direct to Council, councillors and the CEO about issues that affect their group while also discussing ideas, initiatives and endeavours that could benefit the city.
An idea and initiative by Mayor Clare McLaughlin, the meetings will allow positive two-way conversations between Council and community groups.
“It is an important role of Council to listen and engage with the community,” Mayor McLaughlin said.
“This already happens through a variety of platforms and these regular meetings will expand that program of community engagement.
“We want to hear about the issues affecting groups and the community and ideas they may have that will help improve our great city.
“At the same time, we would like the opportunity to explain to people why Council needs to do certain things to benefit our city ... these meetings will be the perfect two-way forum to achieve all of this.”
Council already invites the public to attend its meetings, encourages questions from the public at ordinary meetings and conducts extensive public consultation on significant projects in Whyalla. Mayor McLaughlin said the new community group meetings would also allow elected members to engage even further with the community.
“Our elected members are wonderful ambassadors for Council and spend a lot of time in the community talking to people,” Mayor McLaughlin said.
“These meetings will be another chance for them to continue that work, give our community even better access to the people they elected to represent them and raise issues, exchange ideas and generally have positive discussions about a range of matters with those councillors.
“We are all here to serve the community and this sort of engagement will enhance this essential role of Council for the benefit of everyone.”
Council invites incorporated community groups to book for the first round of the meetings on Monday, January 13, 2020 starting at 5.30pm. Letters requesting a meeting, addressed to Executive Assistant Michelle Armstrong, can be sent to council@whyalla.sa.gov.au or by mail to PO Box 126, Whyalla, 5600 and must be received by close of business, Monday January 6, 2020.
Letters requesting a meeting require up to three main points for official business and other topics for general discussion. To ensure expediency and ensure every group has a fair meeting, they will be capped at one hour with a maximum of eight members able to attend from each group.