Please read these guidelines before submitting the form: 

This information is provided as guidance to members of the public who wish to ask a question or
make a statement at a Council or Committee meeting.

1. On arrival at the meeting, please provide a copy of this form to the Presiding Member. Personal details and the information regarding the questions you intend to make will be used as an accurate record for the minutes of the meeting and follow up where required.
2. At the commencement of the meeting, the Presiding Member will invite questions and statements from the public on matters of business relating to the Town of Cottesloe. Prior to asking a question or making a statement, the speaker is to read out their name and address.
3. Persons who ask a question or make a statement at a meeting must do so with due regard and respect for the rulings and instructions provided by the Presiding Member in accordance with Local Government (Meeting Procedure) Amendment Local Law 2021 (Meeting Procedures).
4. Questions posed during Public Question Time at Council meetings will be given an appropriate response and recorded in the minutes of the meeting when the question is answered, however it is acknowledged that there may be questions submitted that are not able to be answered at the meeting and these may be recorded in the minutes as being ‘taken on notice’. The question(s) and a response will also be included in the agenda and minutes of the next Council meeting after an answer has been provided. As per Meeting Procedures, no discussion of a question or answer is to take place.
5. Generally 15 minutes is set aside for Public Question Time and Public Statement Time. To enable members of the public a fair and equal opportunity to participate, each person shall be provided, with the opportunity to ask a maximum of three questions, within the allocated three minutes.
6. The Presiding Member will determine to refuse to allow questions and statements which are: considered to be outside the duties, functions or powers of Council; deals with a subject matter already answered; is aimed at embarrassing a Councillor or a Town employee; defamatory, indecent, abusive, offensive, irrelevant, trivial or objectionable in language or substance; relates to personnel matters concerning employees or Councillors; relates to the personal hardship of any resident or ratepayer; relates to industrial relations matters; relates to contractual matters that are commercial in confidence; relates to development applications that have not been before Council; relates to legal advice; relates to matters jeopardising the security of Council property; or any other matters which Council considers would prejudice Council or any person.
7.  The Presiding Member may nominate the Chief Executive Officer or a Town employee to respond to a question.
8. All formal Council Meetings will be live-streamed and an audio/visual recording will be publically available via the Town of Cottesloe’s website or social media platform.

Thank you for you interest in Council affairs. The minutes of all meetings are publicly available at the Town of Cottesloe office and in the Council Meetings section on the website.