News Alert |

Live broadcasting of Ballarat City Council meetings will begin at the May 15 meeting.

Footage will be broadcast via a high definition camera located at the rear of the council chamber on the City of Ballarat website via a third-party provider.

The footage will only be of the councillors and the head table, which includes Mayor Cr Samantha McIntosh, CEO Justine Linley and Executive Manager Safety Risk and Compliance Cameron Montgomery.

Members of the public will only be shown if they ask a question of the council or make a public representation.

Members of the public gallery will not be shown and nor will council officers, however officers’ voices will be heard on the audio.

The broadcast will be live on the night and then archived on the City of Ballarat website within the next five business days.

Notices will be made available to all members of the public  on Council agendas and at each meeting that by attending they consent that they may be filmed. . 

The Mayor or CEO will also have the ability at any time to terminate the live broadcast in exceptional circumstances, which could be a risk to public health and safety, a threat of violence or aggression, unlawful conduct, significant disruption of the Council meeting or a reputational risk to Council. 

Live broadcasting may also be interrupted by technical difficulties such as poor internet connection, device failure, unavailability of social media platforms or power outages. 

These instances will all be advertised on the Council’s website and social media channels, so long as they are not disrupted. 

The broadcast may also be edited but a note will be attached to the broadcast stating this has occurred and why.

Live broadcasting will cost $16,000 to set up and then $1200 a month in ongoing costs. Live streaming expenses were already budgeted for in the 2018/19 Council budget.

“Council meetings are for decision making and, while written minutes capture these decisions, they do not generally reflect the deliberations or debate. It will ensure the robust decision making in the council chamber is now accessible to all interested members of the public, rather than just those who attend council meetings.”

Visit our Live Broadcast page to follow along.