Public Question Time Submission

Should you wish to ask questions, please complete the form below, acknowledge the conditions of Public Question Time and submit the form 24 hours prior to the Council Meeting. On receipt of the form the Governance Team will be in contact with you.

If you are submitting a request to ask questions at the Electors' Special Meeting, please complete the form below and submit the form by 12noon the day of the Electors' Special Meeting. Questions must relate to the details of the purpose to be discussed at the Electors’ Special Meeting. A maximum of four questions with no preamble will be permitted per person.

Contact details

Question Label

Public Question Time is available only for asking questions, not for making statements or long preamble / post script. A short preamble for contextual understanding is acceptable.

My questions are: 

NOTE: You are not permitted to ask questions in addition to those identified above.

Conditions for Public Question Time Participation

• Questions shall be received no later than 24 hours prior to a meeting
• Complex questions requiring research shall be submitted one week (7 days) prior to the meeting in order for the Shire to prepare a response
• Debate or discussion on a response is not permitted
• Questions may be taken on notice
• Questions may be treated as correspondence
• Offensive, defamatory question shall be rejected
• Respect to the Council shall be shown at all times.

Procedure for Public Question Time at Council Meetings

Public Question Time is available only for asking questions, not for making statements or long preamble / post script. A short preamble for contextual understanding is acceptable.

Questions may be heard at the commencement of a Council meeting at the appropriate Item titled 'Public Question Time'.

Any person who completes and submits, with at least 24 hours' notice, a 'Public Question Time Submission'' form may be received at a Council meeting.

Complex questions requiring research shall be submitted seven working days prior to the Council meeting in order to allow the Shire sufficient time to prepare a response.

Members of the public are encouraged to submit questions to the Administration for response as correspondence rather than waiting for a Council meeting at the end of the month by email to governance@bridgetown.wa.gov.au or by post to The Shire of Bridgetown-Greenbushes, PO Box 271, Bridgetown WA 6255.

Public Question Time will be held in accordance with the legislated period of 15 minutes. All questions must relate to the ordinary business of the Shire of Bridgetown-Greenbushes, the function of Council or the purpose of the Special Council Meeting as appropriate. Sub-parts of questions are counted as a question (ie. question 1 parts (a), (b) and (c) will be counted as three questions).

Public question time is declared closed following the expiration of the allocated 15 minute time period, or earlier if there are no further questions. The Presiding Member may call a motion to extend Public Question Time for no longer than 15 minutes at the end of the expired 15 minutes.

The Presiding Member may, at his/her discretion:

• Accept or reject the question and his/her decision is final
• Make a determination where there is concern about a question being offensive, defamatory or the like, in which case it will not be published
• Nominate a Member of the Council and / or an Officer to answer the question
• Treat questions as correspondence
• Take a question on notice, in which case the response will be provided in the Minutes of the next Ordinary Council meeting.

No debate or discussion will be permitted on any question or answer.

A summary of all questions (except those rejected) and the responses will be recorded in the Minutes.