Confidential business items weren’t so confidential after all, it was found at the 21 August meeting of the Southern Downs Regional Council.
Two of three items originally earmarked for in-camera discussion were instead allowed to be made public after a vote led by Cr Joel Richters.
The three items were rate concessions granted in the 2023-24 year, breach of lease by Eastern Suburbs Junior Rugby League and the transition to a new provider of outside school hours care.
The councillors found that only the outside school hours care transition care discussion should be kept confidential in accordance with the Local Government Regulation as it contained negotiations relating to a commercial matter.
The decision, which was made public at the end of the confidential session, was that council approve the transfer of outside-of-hours care to the Department of Education.
Having the rate concessions granted for the previous financial year made public was championed by Cr Joel Richters, who said it was fantastic that the report was able to be put in the public sphere. He said council rates concessions equalled just over one per cent of all council rates.
“That’s information our community expects us to provide and builds our requirement to be a transparent council,” he said.
CEO Dave Burges said because the original presentation was in a closed session, only the report would be attached to the minutes of the 21 August meeting, without the information in the report’s attachment which had previously been provided to councillors.
Cr Richters said the decision was a good one.
“This is on-going for future years. Even with the attachment being confidential [this time], the opportunity in future years is to tweak that report so that it can be public information as well.”
Discussion on the other subject, the breach of lease, was stopped after Cr Sheryl Windle moved a procedural motion to adjourn the matter to the October meeting when more information would be available. Cr Bartley voted against the procedural motion.
