Media Release
Release date: Monday, 18 January 2010

Fitzherbert Street, Gisborne, New Zealand. www.gdc.govt.nz

Council agendas and reports now online

Life has just got easier for those who follow the decision making of Gisborne District Council. Council’s website now features a meetings calendar that includes all the topics and associated documents that will be discussed at each council and committee meeting. All agendas, minutes and staff reports can now be accessed online.

Launched this month – this latest addition to Councils website has already received over 600 page views. Prior to this only the agenda order paper was published online. “Making the workings of council more accessible to the public is the main reason the documents are now online. Anything we can do to get more people participating in Council’s decision making the better informed our decisions will be,” said corporate affairs manager Douglas Birt.

“Meeting agendas are public documents. The agenda order paper will be available online up to 5 working days before a meeting. This will give anyone that has an interest in a topic, enough time to let us know if they would like to attend and speak at a meeting. Anyone can attend any council or committee meeting and listen, but if they wish to speak they need to contact us at least 3 working days before that meeting,” Mr Birt added.

All agendas and staff reports are available on the website in PDF format. Staff reports will be available online 2 working days before a meeting - this is the same timeframe other interested parties currently receive a paper copies of the reports.

Minutes of each meeting will be published on the website, after they are confirmed at the following month’s meeting.

Another feature of the meetings calendar is the ability to search agendas, reports and minutes by dates or keyword.

Having the reports online will eventually save council money. Up until now at least 50 copies of each full Council agenda is copied for staff, media and other interested parties.

ENDS

© Scoop Media