Griffith City Council will be amending their media policy, following the deletion of a controversial 'gag order' policy from the committees policy at the March 22 meeting.
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With the deletion of that policy under the proviso that committees will be held to the same code of conduct as council, Councillor Shari Blumer noted that it would involve a review and adjustment of the current policy.
She emphasised the need for council's internal media policy and committee policy to align, using the code of conduct to guide communications.
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It seems council has prioritised creating the new policy, presenting a version at the upcoming meeting to be voted on whether it will be accepted by council and put on public exhibition.
Major amendments have been made to policy relating to the mayor, councillors and general manager but no amendments have been made for staff.
The new policy is notably more relaxed than the currently standing one, eliminating restrictions on councillors and the mayor from presenting their personal views to the media.
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The new policy also brings in all committees under one umbrella, but while it emphasises that the chairperson of any committee is the primary spokesperson on matters, it does not restrict other committee members from having their voices heard.
Director of Economic and Organisational Development Shireen Donaldson, who is presenting the new policy, noted that depending on provisions from the Office of Local Government that would overrule local policy, it may require further amendment.
Council will also vote on whether to opt in on the Department of Planning and Environment's recently introduced amendments to local environment plans.
The changes are designed to support agritourism, a particularly crucial element of Griffith's economy. To that end, many changes are already in effect in Griffith, but the department is requiring local councils to nominate specific zones for the new rulings.
Council will vote on whether to delegate the task of submitting zone nominations to the Director of Sustainable Development, Phil Harding.
The council meeting will take place from 7pm on Tuesday, April 12. A full agenda is available through council's website.
The meeting will be livestreamed through the Griffith City Council Facebook page and minutes will be posted on the Griffith City Council website at a later date.
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