Council encourages members of the community of the City to participate in the decision making process of the Council and provides the following procedures which in part relate to the requirements stipulated in the Local Government Act 1993 (as amended).

Public participation is permitted for business before the Council when in Open Council, and at the Closed Council Meeting for confidential items.

This does not allow the public to participate in respect to Petitions and Questions on Notice reports, which are "information only" items, nor individual tenderers to participate in respect to tenders, nor reports concerning investigations of allegations of Code of Conduct violations by Councillors, General Manager or other Council employees.

The speaker should not make defamatory or insulting statements. The speaker is to ensure they have approvals to discuss other people's personal information.

Ordinary Council Meetings commence at 6.00 pm and immediately close to consider confidential business in the Closed Council Meeting - Confidential.

Closed Council Meeting - Confidential

Council conducts a Confidential Session, commencing at 6.00 pm on Tuesday of Weeks 1 and 4 of each month and, if necessary, Week 2 of the month.

1. During these sessions, the Closed Council Meeting - Confidential is required to consider matters deemed confidential in accordance with Section 10A of the Local Government Act.
2. Prior to the Closed Council Meeting - Confidential considering these matters, members of the public may indicate reasons why any item listed should not be included in the Confidential Session [section 10A(4)].
3. Items to the Closed Council Meeting - Confidential will not be available. However the Table of Contents for the Ordinary Council meeting will identify that an item has been submitted to the Confidential Session.
4. The report of the Confidential Session will be included in the Ordinary Minutes for that meeting.
5. The Open Session of Council resumes at 6.45 pm.

Open Sessions of the Council Meetings

1. An Agenda Paper may be viewed on or collected from the reception counter on the ground floor of the Administration Building after 12 noon on the Thursday preceding the meeting and at all Branch Libraries after 10.00 am on the Thursday preceding the meeting. An Agenda Paper is also available on Council's Internet site www.gosford.nsw.gov.au after 12 noon on the Thursday preceding the meeting.
2. All requests to address the Council must be submitted by each individual speaker to the Secretariat, by Telephone on (02) 43258336 and (02) 43258379; or by completing the online registration form before 12 noon on the Monday preceding the Ordinary meetings of Council, which are on Tuesdays in Weeks 1 and 4 of each month. All presentations must be limited to a maximum of three minutes. Electronic presentations (no larger than 5MB) to be given as part of the public participation must be submitted to the Secretariat via the online registration form before the 12 noon deadline. If the electronic file is too large, contact should be made with the Secretariat on the above telephone numbers and Council's electronic drop box will be utilised. Please note: electronic presentations will not be accepted on the night of the meeting.
3. Requests from members of the public to address Council should include reference to the item number in the Agenda, the speaker's name, address and daytime telephone number and whether for or against the recommendation. Where a speaker wishes to address Council on behalf of an organisation, authorisation advice is required from the Organisation.
4. Items where Public Participation has been requested will be referred to the Open Council or the Closed Council. The number of participants speaking in favour of any one item is to be balanced by the same number of speaker(s) against the proposal. Council will decide who is to speak from the list of registered requests received and unless decided otherwise, speakers for/against will be in order of registration of intention to speak.
5. Registered participants will be invited to comment during Council's consideration of the matter (except the Closed Meeting, unless invited to do so by the Council or the Mayor).
6. Council may defer items on the Agenda for inspection or further discussion. Persons who have requested to address Council on any item listed for inspection by a Councillor will be advised, on the afternoon preceding the meeting, that their names have been registered to address Council at the Reconvened Meeting held at 6.45 pm on Tuesday of Week 2.
7. Where a participant is to address a particular item, the Chairperson may invite that person, as well as any other persons present, to discuss the matter with Council.
8. Any proposed variations to the above shall be subject to a resolution of Council.
9. The Chairperson may curtail public participation where the information being presented is considered repetitive or irrelevant and may rule a participant or question out of order.

Public Participation Speakers Request Form

Please click here to complete the online registration form.