Deputations

The Local Government (Procedures at Meetings) Regulations 2013 (the Regulations) prescribe that a person may appear as a deputation and address a meeting.

Members of the public can request to appear as a deputation, subject to approval by the Presiding Member, at the following meetings:

1. Ordinary Council
2. Special Council
3. Infrastructure and Environmental Services Committee
4. Corporate and Community Services Committee

Requests for deputation must be made 48 hours prior to a meeting, in writing to the CEO pursuant to Regulation 11.  Requests must include the following information:

1. Requestor's Name
2. Contact phone number
3. The topic of the deputation being requested and if the requestor has addressed Council previously on the topic, the number of times.

Deputation requests including the required information to support the request are to be submitted to Governance in writing, addressed to the CEO via one of the following methods:

• Email:  council@gawler.sa.gov.au
• Post: PO Box 130, Gawler SA 5118
• Hand delivered: Town of Gawler Administration Centre, 43 High Street, Gawler East

Topics for deputations should be relevant to an item included on the agenda for a particular meeting.  A five minute time limit applies to deputations.

If a request for a deputation is not received within the stipulated timeframe and therefore does receive approval for a particular meeting, members of the public have the opportunity to appear at council meetings and some committee meetings through the Public Open Forum.

More detail is available in Section 8 Deputations in the Code of Practice for Council and Committee Meeting Procedures which can be accessed via the link at the bottom of this page.

Public Open Forum

The Public Open Forum aims to promote community participation and engagement in the business of the Council, by providing the opportunity for members of the public to address Council and some Committees on any matter.

A Public Open Forum (the Forum) will be held at the following meetings:

1. Ordinary Council
2. Infrastructure and Environmental Services Committee
3. Corporate and Community Services Committee
4. Gawler Youth Advisory Committee

The time limit for the Public Open Forum is 20 minutes. The Presiding Member shall ascertain at the commencement of the Forum the number of persons desiring to speak. The time available shall be allocated to the speakers on equal basis with the provision that a maximum of 5 minutes per speaker.

The Forum shall be chaired by the Presiding Member and speakers shall be asked to observe rulings by the Presiding Member.

A person who has addressed a meeting on a matter via deputation, cannot utilise a Public Open Forum to speak on the same matter again.

More detail is available in Section 10 Public Open Forum in the Code of Practice for Council and Committee Meeting Procedures which can be accessed via the link at the bottom of this page.

Petitions

A petition to Council must:

1. be legibly written or typed or printed;
2. clearly set out the request or submission of the petitioners;
3. include the name and address of each person who signed or endorsed the petition; and
4. be addressed to Council and delivered to the principal office of the Council.

If a petition is received complying with the requirements specified in clause 9.1 of the Code of Practice for Council and Committee Meeting Procedures; the Chief Executive Officer shall place a statement as to the nature of the request or submission, and the number of signatures or the number of persons endorsing the petition on the agenda for the next ordinary meeting of Council.

Electronic petitions will be accepted by Council but must meet the following requirements.

1. Include the name and address of the supporter of the petition.
2. Petition must clearly set out the request or submission for the petitioners.
3. Petition must be directed to council by mail or attached as a document or link to an email to council@gawler.sa.gov.au.