Wanneroo relaxes committee meeting rules after Monday squeeze

The City of Wanneroo has approved a change to its meetings policy after officers said the current Monday-only rule did not leave enough eligible dates to fit all required committee and working group meetings. The decision was taken at the Policy Review Committee meeting on 16 February 2026 at the Council Chambers in the Civic Centre, 23 Dundebar Road, Wanneroo.

The committee backed an amendment to Policy 4.11, the Ordinary Council Meetings and Forums of Council Policy, so meetings of council committees and working groups can be held on the first, second, third and fifth Monday of the month. The resolution passed 6/1, with Cr Rowe voting against. The committee also adopted the revised policy.

Officers told the committee the City needed to schedule at least 27 committee or working group meetings in 2026, assuming the Revenue Review Committee met once a year. The list included the CEOR&PR Committee, the quarterly Audit and Risk Committee, the quarterly Policy Review Committee, the quarterly Bush Fire Advisory Committee, the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Advisory Committee, the quarterly Strategic Projects Working Group and the quarterly Service Review Working Group. A further Audit Risk and Improvement Committee meeting and a fifth CEO Performance Review Committee meeting were also expected to be needed.

The report said that once public holidays and January were removed, only 21 Mondays under the existing policy were available to schedule 29 meetings. Administration said the extra second Monday option would add 11 Mondays, lifting the available total to 32 and reducing the number of days when two meetings would have to be held on the same date. The policy change was described as a way to keep meetings on schedule and avoid fatigue for members.

The committee said the amendment was consistent with the Local Government Act 1995 and the City’s governance objectives. The report also said the change would not affect statutory obligations or confidentiality protections, and that any extra cost would be covered by the operational budget.

The policy update is intended to give the City more room to roster governance meetings across 2026. It also changes the way agendas can be timed, with administration saying the revised timeline still allows members enough time to prepare.

The next Policy Review Committee meeting is scheduled for 6:00pm on Monday, 15 June 2026, in the Council Chamber, Civic Centre, 23 Dundebar Road, Wanneroo.