Submit a Question for a Council Meeting
Colac Otway Shire Council encourages questions from residents.
There are four ways you can address Council at a Council Meeting:
- Complete the online question form and submit to Council.
- Ask a question verbally during Public Question Time (dependent on COVID-19 restrictions at the time of the meeting).
- Submit a question in writing to be read out at a Council meeting.
- Ask a question verbally during question time via videoconference (prior registration is required).
Questions in writing
Written questions to Council must be clearly marked as such and received by the Rae Street office by 5pm on the Monday preceding the relevant Council meeting. Persons registering a question will need to complete and/or submit the following information:
- Name
- Address
- Organisation (if applicable)
- Relevant Agenda Item (if any)
- Date of Submission
- Question (succinct in form and not a statement)
Questions submitted in writing and the responses will be read out at the next relevant Council meeting and the question/s and response/s and the submitter's name and suburb will also appear in the minutes of that meeting. All submitters of written questions will receive a written response in the mail.
Please note that a copy of the questions submitted in writing, their responses and the submitter's name and suburb is published on the Agendas and Minutes page of our website and provided to the local media prior to the commencement of the Council meeting.
Questions asked verbally at the meeting
Members of the public gallery are welcome to ask a question verbally. If the question is answered at the meeting, then a written response will not be provided but the question and answer and the community member's name and suburb will appear in the minutes of the relevant meeting.
If a Council officer is unable to answer the question at the meeting, then the question will be ‘taken on notice’. A written response will be provided and the question and answer and the community member's name and suburb will appear in the minutes of the relevant meeting. If the question is taken on notice, you will be asked to provide your name and postal or email address so that a copy of your question and response may be provided to you.
Questions asked by videoconference during question time
If you wish to ask a question during question time by videoconference, please register your intention to do so by contacting the shire prior to 5pm on Monday the week of the meeting. You will be asked to leave your details (name, phone number and email address) so that we can contact you and supply a videoconference link for you to use to ask your question.
Procedure for question time
Question time is held at the start of each Council meeting. Question time is limited to 30 minutes and written questions take priority.