Perth Voice Interactive

BAYSWATER council is to resume recording its meetings and will now upload them to its website.

In 2010 the microphones were switched off at the height of internal squabbles which saw one councillor referred to as “poodlebrain”.

At the time former councillor Graham Pittaway claimed councillors were trawling through the recordings to find minor verbal errors made by factional enemies which were then used against them.

“Some newspapers even print this rubbish” he’d said.

After six years the motion’s been overturned “in what has been a very big win for transparency”, Cr Chris Cornish says.

It was third time lucky for Cr Cornish, who first tried to get meetings recorded back in 2012, and then again in 2014. This time around it was passed nine to one with only Cr Stephanie Coates opposed.

It’ll cost $90,000 but Cr Cornish notes the microphones are in need of an upgrade as there’s been recent complaints that “some people in the gallery can’t hear what is being said”.

Cr Cornish says “I’m proud of the in-depth debate which occurs at the City of Bayswater and believe the wider public should be able to hear it, especially on items which concern themselves,‚Äù.

He says now people who can’t make it to the meetings can listen in whenever they want.

by DAVID BELL