The online local news publication, This Week in St Kilda (TWiSK) provides an ongoing source of local information and knowledge covering Port Phillip in its entirety.

This week TWiSK included an opinion piece that I wrote raising concerns with the City of Port Phillip’s current format for question time:

Two-minute questions at Council produce frustration rather than consultation
A former Maroondah City Council Mayor, now Port Melbourne resident, Alex Makin proposes a better way to engage with the community.

Currently official public engagement with Council is limited to either a public question (restricted to 2 to 3 minutes) or speaking to an agenda item (which is also restricted to 2 to 3 minutes and not recorded in the minutes).

It is impossible to provide sufficient depth on an issue when being restricted to just 120 seconds. The current process simply creates frustration, rather than a genuine opportunity to address concerns.

When I was Mayor of Maroondah in 2010 I introduced deputations which provided a formal process for community members to address Council in detail. A deputation required Council to respond to the matters raised and it provided an important forum for debate and action based on community priorities.

The City of Port Phillip incorporated deputations until 2022 when they were removed and replaced by the current limited forms of public participation.

Read more at: Two-minute questions at Council produce frustration rather than consultation – TWiSK (gdaystkilda.com.au)