Council Meeting - 28 Jul 2026 6:00 PM

Topics

• Burwood Council seeks public feedback on proposed meeting rules and expulsion powers
  Burwood Council has put a new Code of Meeting Practice on public exhibition for 42 days, with a possible change allowing presiding councillors to expel people from meetings if no submissions are received.
  Residents and meeting attendees can make submissions on proposed rules governing Council meetings and public participation.
• Burwood Council consults on civic recognition and small donations policy
  Burwood Council has opened a 28-day consultation on a revised policy covering civic recognition, condolences and small donations.
  Community groups and residents may be affected by how Council handles civic recognition, condolences and small donations.
• Burwood adopts revised guide to help residents access Council information
  Burwood Council adopted a revised Agency Information Guide explaining how the public can access information held by Council.
  The guide is the main public-facing explanation of Council information holdings and access processes, supporting transparency and information requests.

Decisions

• Draft meeting code released for public comment
  Council placed the draft Code of Meeting Practice on 42-day public exhibition. It set conditional next steps for submissions or adoption if no submissions are received, including revocation of the previous code and possible authorisation for the presiding person to exercise expulsion powers under section 10(2) of the Local Government Act 1993.
  Residents can provide feedback before any final adoption of the proposed meeting rules.
• Revised information access guide adopted
  Council adopted the revised Agency Information Guide under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 for publication on its website, with minor amendments permitted if required by the Information and Privacy Commission.
  The updated guide will explain how the community can access Council-held information.
• Civic recognition and donations policy placed on exhibition
  Council placed the proposed Civic Recognition, Condolences and Small Donations Policy on 28-day public exhibition, with conditional reporting or adoption arrangements.
  Residents and community organisations can comment on the proposed policy before final adoption.

Discussion

• Draft Code of Meeting Practice consultation
  The draft Code of Meeting Practice will be publicly exhibited for 42 days. If submissions are received, the General Manager must report the outcome to Council; if none are received, the draft can be adopted and the previous code revoked.
  Residents have an opportunity to comment on the rules governing Council meetings and public participation.
• Civic recognition, condolences and small donations policy
  The proposed Civic Recognition, Condolences and Small Donations Policy will be exhibited for 28 days. Submissions will be reported to the next ordinary meeting after exhibition; without submissions, the policy can be adopted and the 2022 policy revoked.
  The policy may affect community recognition, condolence arrangements and small donations.
• Government information access guide
  Council adopted a revised Agency Information Guide for website publication and authorised minor changes required by the Information and Privacy Commission.
  Residents will have an updated guide to how they can access information held by Council.
• Investment report
  Council received and noted the investment report as at 30 June 2026. The excerpt provides no investment balances, returns or changes.
  The report records Council's investment-monitoring process, but the supplied minutes do not include financial figures.
• Closed-session General Manager performance review
  The General Manager's 2025-26 performance review was considered in closed session under personnel-matter provisions. No substantive detail is provided in the supplied extract.
  The matter was confidential and the public record excerpt does not disclose its outcome.

Impacts

• Residents can comment on the draft Code of Meeting Practice during a 42-day public exhibition period.
• The proposed meeting code could, if adopted under the stated conditions, give the presiding person authority to expel people from Council or eligible committee meetings.
• Residents and community organisations can comment on the proposed Civic Recognition, Condolences and Small Donations Policy during a 28-day exhibition period.
• The revised Agency Information Guide will provide updated information about accessing Council-held information.
• No public detail was provided in the supplied extract about the confidential General Manager performance review or the investment report's financial results.

Places

• Burwood (local government area)
  Local government area affected by all substantive Council decisions
• 2 Conder Street, Burwood (civic facility)
  Meeting venue named in the minutes

Next

• Receive public submissions on the draft Code of Meeting Practice during the 42-day exhibition period.
  Following commencement of public exhibition
• If submissions are received on the draft meeting code, the General Manager is to report the outcome to Council.
  After the 42-day exhibition period
• Receive public submissions on the Civic Recognition, Condolences and Small Donations Policy during the exhibition period.
  Over 28 days from commencement of public exhibition
• If submissions are received on the civic recognition policy, the General Manager is to report to the next ordinary Council meeting after exhibition concludes.
  After the 28-day exhibition period
• Publish the revised Agency Information Guide, subject to any minor changes required by the Information and Privacy Commission.
  After adoption

Extract

This is of the Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting of Burwood Council Meeting held on 28 July 2026 MINUTES OF THE COUNCIL OF BURWOOD held in the Conference Room, Level 1, 2 Conder Street, Burwood on Tuesday 28 July 2026 commencing at 6:01 PM. Attendance Councillor John Faker (Mayor) Councillor George Mannah (Deputy Mayor) Councillor Sukirti Bhatta Councillor Pascale Esber Councillor David Hull Councillor De Yi Wu-Coshott (attended via audio-visual link) Councillor Alex Yang Opening of Meeting by the Mayor The Mayor opened the meeting with a prayer and Acknowledgement of Country. Attendance via audio-visual link 74/26 RESOLVED That the request from Cr Wu-Coshott to attend the meeting via audio-v...