Council Meetings

Council meetings are conducted in accordance with Council's Governance Rules (PDF, 689KB)which Council has developed and adopted as required by the Local Government Act 2020. All Council meetings are held at 6:00pm at the Council Chambers, located at 1 Merrijig Drive, Torquay, unless otherwise advertised.

Surf Coast Shire Council will hold its March Council meeting at the Deans Marsh Community Hall on Tuesday 26 March at 6pm. Community members are invited to attend the meeting at the hall, located 10 Pennyroyal Valley Road, Deans Marsh.

If you require any information relating to Council meetings which is not available on this page, please lodge a request, or contact Council's governance team on (03) 5261 0600.  

Virtual Council Meetings

 As of 22 March 2022, all Council meetings except for Special Council Meetings for Hearing Submissions will return to being held in person at Council Chambers, 1 Merrijig Drive, Torquay unless advertised otherwise. The public is welcome to attend these meetings in person, or to view the meetings online via live streaming which is available on Council’s website. A recording of the live stream will be made available on Council’s website following the meeting. 

2024 Meeting Dates

27 February 2024 - Council Meeting

26 March 2024 - Council Meeting - Deans Marsh Community Hall, 10 Pennyroyal Valley Road Deans Marsh.

23 April 2024 - Council Meeting

28 May 2024 - Council Meeting

25 June 2024 - Council Meeting

23 July 2024 - Council Meeting

27 August 2024 - Council Meeting

17 September 2024 - Council Meeting*

22 October 2024 - Council Meeting

26 November 2024 - Council Meeting

10 December 2024 - Council Meeting

* Council Meeting to be held on the 3rd Tuesday of September due to Election Caretaker Period commencing 24 September 2024.

Live Streaming

All Council meetings are live streamed and the recordings are also available after the meeting. Live streaming and meeting recordings can be accessed here: Live Streaming 

 

Agendas and Minutes for Council Meetings

Council meeting agendas will usually be available via the below link by the close of business on the Thursday before the meeting.

If there is a delay with distribution of the agenda, this will be communicated on the Agendas and Minutes page linked below.

The minutes and recording will be online as soon as possible after the meeting, usually the following week.

Agendas and minutes for Council meetings

Public Question Time

Public Question Time

If you have a question you would like to ask at a meeting of Council, it must be received by 3pm on the day before the meeting. All questions will be managed in accordance with Council's Governance Rules(PDF, 597KB).  

To submit a question, please complete an online form (you will receive a copy of your completed form via email).

    Please note that questions relating to agenda items will be addressed first. Multiple questions relating to the same agenda item will be grouped and responded to together and repetitive questions will refer to previous answers. Questions that are unrelated to items on the meeting agenda will be answered at the discretion of the Chair and are subject to availability of time. If not answered at the meeting, a written answer will be provided within 5 days.

     

    Councillor Briefings and Workshops

    As outlined in the information below, which can be found in the Guide to Councils on the Know Your Council website, councillor briefings and workshops are an important part of council's decision making process.

    Council Briefings and Workshops

    It’s important that councillors find out about the detail of relevant issues before making decisions at council meetings.

    Some councils hold briefings or workshops to help brief councillors on day to day issues affecting the council. These are generally internal sessions with council staff, but, sometimes outside advisors are present.

    Briefing sessions enable councillors to discuss issues among themselves and with senior staff. These briefing sessions can help councillors understand a complex issue. They provide a way for councillors to request additional information to assist them in making decisions.

    Councillors cannot make legally binding decisions in briefings or workshops. At any meeting involving at least half the councillors and at least one member of staff (referred to as ‘assemblies of councillors’), where matters are likely to lead to a formal council decision, a record must be kept of those items considered and councillors are subject to the conflict of interest rules.

    Councillor briefing sessions should not be confused with public briefings. Public briefings are held by councils when they want to brief members of the community about council activities, or other significant matters that might be coming before the council in the near future.

    To learn more, visit the Know Your Council website.