Question Time

Question time at Council meetings provides an opportunity for the members of the public to submit questions to Gannawarra Shire Council.

The process for question time is as follows:

  • Questions must be submitted on a Question Time form, which can be completed below. Forms are also available from Council’s website and the Kerang and Cohuna Customer Service Centres.

  • Questions must be submitted by 5pm the day prior to the Council Meeting. 

  • A Maximum number of two questions may be asked by any one person at each Council meeting.

  • All Councillors will receive a copy of the questions received and if applicable, the answers to be provided, prior to the relevant Council Meeting.

  • When the Council Meeting moves to public question time, the Mayor or in their absence, the Meeting Chair, will call on each person who has submitted an approved question to ask their question verbally, if they wish.  If they do not wish to ask their question, the Mayor or Chief Executive Officer will read out their question on their behalf.

  • The Mayor or Chief Executive Officer may indicate that they require further time to research an answer. In this case, an answer will be provided in writing generally within 10 days.

  • Questions will be answered at the meeting, or later in writing, unless the Mayor of Chief Executive Officer has determined that the relevant question seeks confidential information defined in section 3 of the Act such as:

    • Council business information;
    • security information;
    • land use planning information;
    • law enforcement information;
    • legal privileged information;
    • personal information;
    • private commercial information;
    • confidential meeting information;
    • internal arbitration information;
    • Councillor Conduct Panel confidential information;
    • an issue outside the Gannawarra Shire Council core business.

    or if the question is:

    • defamatory, indecent, abusive or objectionable in language or substance;
    • repetitive of a question already answered (whether at the same or an earlier meeting)
    • asked to embarrass a Councillor or Council officer.

    No debate or discussion of questions or answers shall be permitted and all questions and answers shall be a brief as possible.

Click here to view form.

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