Types of Council meetings

Council has different types of meetings. These include Standing Committee meetings, budget meetings, ordinary meetings and recess periods.

Ordinary meetings

Brisbane City Council's Ordinary meetings are held in the City Hall Council Chamber, 64 Adelaide Street, Brisbane. Public access is via level 2. Meetings are on Tuesdays at 1pm (except during recess periods).

The Chair of Council, elected by Councillors, presides over each meeting. The Lord Mayor does not chair the proceedings. The bells ring at 1pm to summon Councillors to the chamber.

Official business of meetings are recorded in the minutes of proceedings. Ordinary Council meetings are streamed when Council meets. 

A typical meeting agenda includes:

  1. Apologies and leave of absence
  2. Confirmation of minutes
  3. Public participation
  4. Question time
  5. Reception and consideration of the Standing Committee's reports:
    • Establishment and Coordination
    • Economic Development and the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games Committee
    • Transport
    • Infrastructure
    • City Planning and Suburban Renewal
    • Environment, Parks and Sustainability
    • City Standards
    • Community, Arts and Nighttime Economy
    • Finance and City Governance
  6. Presentation of petitions
  7. General business.

Special meetings

The Chief Executive Officer must call a special Council meeting if:

  • required by Council resolution; or
  • a written request, signed by the Lord Mayor or nine or more Councillors is lodged. The request must state the reason for the meeting and propose a meeting date and time.

Budget meetings

Budget meetings are in June each year and include:

  • the Lord Mayor's budget speech (the Civic Cabinet Chair of Finance and City Governance Committee can also make this speech)
  • the Leader of the Opposition's response
  • the reply by the Civic Cabinet Chair for Finance and City Governance Committee (the Lord Mayor can also make this speech)
  • information sessions on each of Council's budget programs (the public can attend these sessions as observers)
  • budget debate (this includes voting to adopt each budget program)
  • a vote on the motion to adopt the Council budget.

Standing Committee meetings

The roles and responsibilities of Standing Committees are as delegated by Council.

Standing Committees (other than the Establishment and Coordination Committee and the Councillor Ethics Committee) meet each Tuesday morning (except during recess periods). Their reports and recommendations are forwarded to the Council ordinary meeting the following week for adoption.

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Brisbane City Council acknowledges this Country and its Traditional Custodians. We pay our respects to the Elders, those who have passed into the dreaming; those here today; those of tomorrow.