Transparency was a buzzword of the Eurobodalla Shire Council election campaign.
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Many councillors told BayPost that transparency was a key aspiration for their time in office.
It is not surprising then that mayor Mat Hatcher raised livestreaming public forums and public access as one of the first items on the agenda of the council's first meeting on February 8.
The agenda released one week prior to the council meeting said livestreaming would be a key item to discuss.
However, last minute legal advice to council has prevented the motion from being passed, and livestreams from being established.
At the meeting, Mayor Hatcher said legal advice presented to the council on February 7 recommended a decision such as livestreaming public council sessions required community consultation for a period of 42 days.
Mayor Hatcher called the news "very disappointing".
In response, the councillors unanimously voted to include live streaming with other proposed changes to the code of meeting practice, and to seek community consultation on the new code of practice beginning in March. A draft code of meeting practice will be presented to council in May for adoption in July.
It means the earliest possible livestreamed public access or public forum would be July 5.
In the meantime, public access and public forum will take place over Zoom.
Mayor Hatcher's announcement was received with groans by members of the public watching the council meeting.
Member of the Greens Eurobodalla Charlie Bell was frustrated by the decision and the timing of the legal advice.
"If the general manager is showing that much attention to procedure, why did [the announcement regarding legal advice] only take place this morning?" he said.
