Council Meetings (except for closed sessions), are open to members of the public to attend.

At Ordinary Council Meeting's only, eligible members of the community are able to address Council on reports and motions listed on the Order of Business to be considered at that Meeting.

If you wish to speak at an Ordinary Council Meeting, applicants must meet one of the following Eligibility Criteria and agree to abide by the conditions of the Sutherland Shire Council Code of Meeting Practice and Public Forum Policy.

Eligibility Criteria.

  • resident or owner of land within the Sutherland Shire Council area
  • a person entitled to vote in the Sutherland Shire Council area under the Local Government Act
  • the nominee of an entity owning land, conducting a business or providing a service in the Sutherland Shire Council area

To register to address Council at an Ordinary Council Meeting, please submit the below Public Forum Application Form, no later than 5pm on the Thursday prior to the Meeting.

Some things you need to know about speaking at an Ordinary Council Meeting:

  • You can register to speak on only one report or motion listed in the Order of Business that is published in the Business Paper on Council's Website.
  • Your address must be no longer than three minutes.
  • Speakers at Public Forums cannot ask questions of the Council, Councillors or Council staff.
  • All Council Meetings are live streamed on Council’s website and by attending a Meeting, speakers and other persons consent to being included in the live stream and an audio-visual recording of their address being included in the webcast of the Meeting published to Councils website.
  • Approved Public Forum attendees and other persons agree to refrain from engaging in disorderly conduct, publicly alleging breaches of the Council’s Code of Conduct or making other potentially defamatory statements.
  • Your name will be included in the minutes of the Meeting.
  • Applicants can apply to address Council remotely. If making your address remotely, full audio and visual functionality must be used via the Microsoft Teams link that will be provided to you to facilitate your remote address.
  • Supporting material will not be displayed in Council Chambers during the Meeting or on Councils website. Approved speakers can provide relevant written material or photographs in support of their address directly to Councillors via email - no videos are to be provided. Councillors email addresses are available on Council’s website.

You will be contacted no later than 5pm the Friday prior to the Ordinary Council Meeting to confirm if your application has been successful.

Public Forum Application Form

Required fields are denoted by *

I confirm that I am (select relevant criteria) *

Mode of address *

(If remote, a Microsoft Teams link will be sent to your  above email address on the day of the Meeting, together with relevant instructions)

Report/Motion to be addresses

Are you speaking in support or against the report/motion’s recommendation as listed in the Council Business Paper? *

By registering to address Council at a Public Forum speakers confirm that they meet the required criteria and agree:

To abide by the conditions of the Sutherland Shire Council Code of Meeting Practice and Public Forum Policy

And consent to their address being included in the live streaming of the Meeting and the recorded webcast of the Meeting published to Council's website