Council meetings shift to virtual world amid new control measures

Published on 31 March 2020

Due to new COVID-19 control measures announced by the Premier this week, the City of Launceston will shift to the virtual world for all council meetings for the foreseeable future.

All Council meetings will now be held via video conferencing with elected members, with the audio live streamed to the public.

Mayor Albert van Zetten said the decision was made to hold virtual meetings in the interest of public safety in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

"The new public gathering guidelines outlined by the Premier mean that the public will not be able to attending Council meetings in person while these measures are in place," Mayor van Zetten said.

This arrangement will take effect from this Thursday's ordinary Council meeting and the Special Council meeting.

If any Launceston ratepayer wants to ask a question during Public Question Time, they can email up to three questions, which will be read out at the meeting, and either answered or taken on notice.

If anyone wants to speak to an item on the agenda, including a development application, they can email a statement of no more than 300 words. Those statements will then be read at the meeting.

Questions or statements must be emailed to contactus@launceston.tas.gov.au by 12pm Thursday April 2 and must include your name and a contact telephone number.

If you cannot email your questions or statements, please call our Customer Service Centre on 6323 3000 for assistance.

"This is a particularly difficult time for many people in our community, but as an essential service, the Council must quickly adapt to the challenges before us," Mayor van Zetten said.

"While these current lockdown provisions are in place, we need to be able to change the way we conduct our meetings and do the best we can to maintain the community's ability to have a direct contact with their elected members.

"This situation we all face will not be permanent. The arrangements we have put in place are the best way we can facilitate our requirements and I encourage everyone to embrace this new way of operating for the time being."

Agendas for all Council meetings are available at www.launceston.tas.gov.au/Agendas-Minutes

Live audio of meetings will be streamed via https://www.launceston.tas.gov.au/Council/Meetings/Listen