South Perth Councillor Withdraws Motion to Tighten Speaking Rules
City of South Perth councillor Tim Houweling has withdrawn a controversial proposal to impose stricter rules on who can address council meetings, citing the intervention of the city monitor as a pivotal factor. Cr Houweling stated that the monitor's role in reviewing how the council conducts its meetings, including its standing orders which have been under scrutiny since 2023, has "changed the landscape."
Speaking on his own behalf, Cr Houweling explained to PerthNow that he decided to withdraw his motion to allow the monitor's process to proceed without interference. "In those circumstances, I have withdrawn my motion to allow that process to run its course," he said, emphasizing the importance of a thorough review by the independent monitor.
Background and Rationale for the Proposed Changes
Cr Houweling originally drafted the motion in December following lengthy deputations at council briefings that significantly extended meeting times. The February briefing session ran for over an hour and a half, while the December session lasted more than two and a half hours, highlighting concerns about efficiency and focus.
Mayor Greg Milner noted at Tuesday's briefing that 17 deputations had been submitted to the city, with 14 of them directly related to Cr Houweling's motion. He expressed gratitude to community members for their submissions, stating, "I do want to thank each and every community member who took the time to make a submission and to come here this evening to make a deputation. We do appreciate that you're all very busy people and that your time and effort is valuable and we do appreciate it enormously."
Cr Houweling's Concerns and Proposed Limits
Cr Houweling, who was absent from the briefing, argued that his motion aimed to limit deputations to individuals or groups directly affected by items on the council agenda. He planned to introduce stricter requirements for those speaking on behalf of these groups to ensure accountability and relevance.
"This is not about limiting participation. It is about restoring balance, relevance, and discipline to the process," Cr Houweling asserted. He explained that since joining the council, he observed an excessive amount of time being consumed by deputations on a wide range of matters, many of which were not directly related to the agenda.
He further claimed that this approach is standard practice in many local governments, designed to ensure that participation is relevant, focused, and fair, particularly for those genuinely impacted by agenda items. "It was about ensuring that participation is relevant, focused, and fair particularly for those genuinely impacted by matters on the agenda who wish to address council," he said.
Issues of Transparency and Accountability
In his motion, Cr Houweling argued that the changes were necessary to improve transparency and accountability. He stressed the importance of deputations relating to legitimate matters before the council and being made by individuals with a clear, direct connection to those matters.
"More importantly, it risks drowning out the voices of those who are directly affected by the decisions before council, people who deserve to be properly heard, not lost among repeated or unrelated commentary," he warned, highlighting the potential for irrelevant input to overshadow critical community concerns.
Cr Houweling also raised specific concerns about informal groups addressing the council without clear mandates. "Informal groups without constitution or foundation make deputations without having members of that group authorising them to speak for the group," he noted, questioning the legitimacy of such representations.
Additionally, he claimed that some groups overstated their level of community representation, with some having fewer than 10 active members yet claiming to act with community imprimatur. "This dilutes accountability," he argued, emphasizing the need for clearer standards in public participation to maintain the integrity of council proceedings.
