Lake Macquarie online council meetings: council rejects trial of 'hybrid' meeting model that would allow councillors to attend online for any reason

Across the state, councils have been given the option to adopt a hybrid meeting model - where individual councillors can join meetings remotely, opening the door to a situation where staff and the public could theoretically be the only ones physically in the room.

The controversial trial was at the centre of a council debate this week, as one camp argued it would facilitate better participation in meetings and attract more people to put their hand up for public office, the other concerned it would diminish the democratic process and fail to show public office the respect it deserves.

Greater flexibility for working parents or councillors undergoing medical treatment would be a welcome change, Cr Brian Adamthwaite said.

"I know how difficult it was during my first two terms of council when I was holding down a full-time job and council as well, and I realise now how much easier it is to not have to do that," he said.

"I think if we can trial some regime that incorporates flexibility, personal decision and the possibility of various other medical problems that could occur, I think it's a positive step forward in the 2020's for our council."

In the past, councillors had to be physically present in the room to achieve a quorum for a vote - but the challenges of COVID-19 saw the rules changed to allow meetings to be held remotely in the event of natural disasters or public health emergencies.

Now, councils have the option to take it a step further - allowing individual councillors to attend remotely for any reason provided they let the chief executive or mayor know by 10am the morning of a meeting.

The shift to online governance hasn't come without its own challenges, City of Newcastle coined its own 'Robinson rule' after former councillor Allan Robinson was caught shirtless in an online meeting last year.

The NSW Office of Local Government now requires all councillors to be "appropriately dressed" in the Model Code of Meeting Practice.

Lake Macquarie City Council will only offer online attendance in extenuating circumstances where a councillor is required to self-isolate due to COVID-19, is unable to attend due to sickness or injury or has travelled outside the area for professional reasons.

Even with those provisions, deputy mayor Jason Pauling felt moving meetings online would negatively impact quality debate.

"I live on Teams in my work life, but this isn't my work life, this is running a council," he said.

"It's putting ourselves in a forum of appropriate scrutiny and respecting the institution that is the council, and I hold quite considerable fears for how that process may be undermined should we charge off to a mixed-mode type arrangement.

"I know a lot of councils are doing this, great, let them have their little experiment - I don't know why that needs to be us. Let's learn about their experiences, let's see how that plays out."

The sentiment was echoed by mayor Kay Fraser, councillors Nick Jones, Christine Buckley and Jack Antcliff.

Cr Jones said allowing remote meetings without a specific reason would open the council up to "all sorts of weird and wacky online things".

"I think it's worded pretty tightly ... some of the wording in here is almost like we know it can go to custard so let's put some wording in there so people know what to wear - it's a bit strange."

The council voted against a hybrid trial allowing councillors to attend outside of extenuating circumstances, in favour of letting other councils across the state provide examples of what works and what doesn't.

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