Decisions of Council are made at General Meetings and Special Meetings. Decisions are made by a majority vote of councillors and the mayor. Councillors must attend all meetings, unless having received an approved leave of absence, and vote on matters on the meeting agenda.

The Local Government Act 2009 (“the Act”) requires that Council must hold a full council meeting at least once a month. At Gladstone Regional Council, General Meetings are held on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month. Council also holds Special Meetings for budget adoption or as otherwise required.

To facilitate live streaming of meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic, Council’s General Meetings and Special Meetings are currently being held at the Gladstone Entertainment and Convention Centre at 56 Goondoon Street, Gladstone.

Council anticipates a return to the Gladstone Administration Centre Council Chambers at 101 Goondoon Street, Gladstone during 2021.

General Meetings and Special Meetings are usually open to the public however Council has elected to close the meetings to public in accordance with s277E of the Local Government Regulations 2012 (“the Regulation”) for health and safety reasons related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Council looks forward to welcoming the public to our General Meetings when it is safe to do so. Anyone can view General Meetings and Special Meetings via the link on Council’s website or Council’s Facebook page.

Council may consider reports during closed confidential sessions under the limited circumstances set out below however decisions can be made in a closed session:

1. the appointment, discipline or dismissal of the chief executive officer;
2. industrial matters affecting employees;
3. the local government’s budget;
4. rating concessions;
5. legal advice obtained by the local government or legal proceedings involving the local government including, for example, legal proceedings, that may be taken by or against the local government;
6. matters that may directly affect the health and safety of an individual or a group of individuals;
7. negotiations relating to a commercial matter involving the local government for which the public discussion would be likely to prejudice the interests of the local government;
8. negotiations relating to the taking of land by the local government under the Acquisition of Land Act 1967.
9. matter the local government is required to keep confidential under a law of, or formal arrangement with, the Commonwealth or a State.

Council’s General Meetings are chaired by the Mayor and proceed in accordance with Council’s Council Meetings Procedures Policy and the provisions of the Act and the Regulation.

Agendas of each General Meeting are available to the public on Council’s website by 5pm on the day after distribution to Councillors accordance with s254D of the Regulation. This generally occurs by the Thursday prior to the following Tuesday General Meeting.. Unconfirmed minutes are also available on Council’s website by 5pm on the tenth day after a General Meeting or Special Meeting has been held. Minutes are confirmed at the next General Meeting and a copy of the confirmed minutes will be published on Council’s website as soon as practicable after they have been confirmed.

Agendas and Minutes

More information on decision making in local government can be found on the Department of Local Government, Racing and Multicultural Affairs website https://www.dlgrma.qld.gov.au/local-government/councillor-information/good-decision-making.html.

Advisory Committee Meetings

Gladstone Regional Council has adopted three formal Advisory Committees in accordance with the Local Government Act and Regulations which are responsible for reporting to Council on specialised matters:

• Sister City Advisory Committee
• Gladstone Region Youth Council
• Philip Street Communities and Families Precinct Advisory Group

The above Advisory Committee meetings operate in accordance with their terms of reference and are open to the public to attend.

In addition, Council has established the below committees / groups to support the implementation of policy and Local Government Act requirements.

• Gladstone Regional Council State Emergency Service Management Group
• Gladstone Regional Council Rural Fire Finance Committee
• Audit Risk and Improvement Committee 

The above Committee meetings are closed meetings and are only for the members and invited guests of that Committee.

Deputations

​A person or a representative of a group of persons wishing to be received as a Deputation may address Council on a particular matter.  Deputations should relate to matters which Council is authorised to determine, or relate to matters of interest to the community of the Gladstone Region or not be in respect to matters currently or previously the subject of legal proceedings and development applications under consideration by Council.  

Requests for a Deputation to Council can be applied for by completing the Deputation Request Form below.

Deputation Request Form including Guidelines and Fact Sheet

Past Standing Committee Meetings

Standing Committee Meetings were dissolved on 30 June 2017

It is important that Committee Agendas and Minutes be read in conjunction with the next General Meeting Agenda and Minutes.