Council meetings
The Premier has announced that from 18 May gatherings of 20 people will be permitted. What does this mean for council meetings?
Social distancing measures still apply: 1.5 metres between people and only one person per 4 square metres.
So the first step is to measure the size of your council chambers and divide this by four to determine how many people can be safely in the room at any one time.
Will your council chambers hold all council members and the necessary officers to hold the meeting? If not, is there an alternative venue that can be used?
A room 80 square metres of more in size will be able to hold 20 people. After council members and officers, how many members of the public will you be able to have in the room?
An option to provide greater access to the public is to consider broadcasting the meeting to another room. This room must also allow for 4 square metres per person to a maximum of 20 people.
Ensure seating is appropriately arranged to give 1.5 metre separation.
If your venue cannot accommodate all council members and necessary officers, you could consider a mixture of in-person and electronic attendance until further restrictions are eased.