Perth Voice Interactive

BAYSWATER City Residents’ Association wants council meetings recorded and made available to the public.

The proposal by BBRA president Tony Green won approval at last week’s council AGM, which means the council is now required to formally consider it and, if it’s rejected, give a reason for rejection.

“Other councils, including Bassendean do it, so why can’t we?” Mr Green says.

“All that gets recorded in the minutes is what was passed and the vote, not the nitty gritty. We need more transparency.”

Bayswater is the only council in Voiceland that doesn’t record its meetings.

The council voted in October 2010 to abolish recording, with then-Cr Graham Pittaway stating councillors on the factionally riven council had been poring over tapes, nitpicking for misspoken words to take to lawyers.

Mr Green says legal action shouldn’t be a problem if councillors stick to the local government code of conduct.

In 2012, Cr Chris Cornish pushed for the council to record meetings and post them online, arguing the cost was negligible and it would make the council more transparent. His motion was defeated: “A lot of people are unable to attend the monthly council meeting due to work/family commitments or transportation difficulties,” he’d said.

Vincent, Stirling and Perth city councils don’t automatically release audio recordings to the public, but they are available on demand.

Mr Green also won residents’ support for council’s committees to be amalgamated to save money. The motions go before council for consideration early next year.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK