Attending Council meetings

You are welcome to attend all Brisbane City Council ordinary meetings and most Standing Committee meetings. Seating is provided at the back of the Chamber.

The media regularly attends Council meetings and reports proceedings from special seating allocated in the Chamber.

Rules of attending ordinary meetings

Visitors are bound by the Rules of Procedure and must not interrupt the conduct of business. Strict silence must be kept. Tape recordings or photographing from the gallery is prohibited, unless first approved by the Chairperson of Council.

Speaking at meetings

You can apply for approval to speak at ordinary Council meetings. Approval to address Council lies with the Chairperson of Council.

Download an application form to speak at an ordinary Council meeting:

Application to address Council - CC36  (PDF - 68kb)

 

You can also collect an application:

• by visiting Council
• from any Ward Office

Submit the form by:

• fax to 07 3334 0067
• mail to Council

Your topic must be on a matter of public interest. It is up to the Chairperson of Council whether the matter is relevant or not.

If you are given approval to address a Council meeting, the following rules apply:

• you have a maximum of five minutes to speak
• no one in the meeting is allowed to interrupt you
• Council cannot debate any issue you raise
• the Lord Mayor or a Committee Chairperson, may respond on Council's behalf; otherwise you'll be given a written response as soon as possible

Rules of attending Standing Committee meetings

If you attend a Standing Committee meeting, you must not:

• interrupt the meeting
• talk, even in whispers
• enter or leave the committee room after the meeting has started
• argue with the Chairperson, if they ask you to leave for any reason

Rules of procedure

Council operates under the conventions and practices of the Westminster system of government, similar to those of the Australian Parliament. The following rules apply to Council meetings:

• Councillors must stand in their places to speak
• Councillors may speak once only to a motion for a maximum of 10 minutes (unless an extension of time is granted)
• motions must be seconded
• the mover of a motion has the right of reply before the vote is taken
• votes are decided on the strength of voices and if a division is required, the Councillor's votes are recorded individually and if the votes are equal, the motion is lost
• a point of order may be raised for alleged breaches of the Rules of Procedure
• it is customary that all persons acknowledge the Chair when entering and leaving the Chamber