Brendan Simpkins

TRANSPARENCY is at the forefront of a decision to record Playford Council’s meetings, including informal gatherings and assessment panel meetngs, as of this month.

Council has been livestreaming its meetings via YouTube since March when COVID-19 restrictions forced changes to the way meetings were conducted.

Ward three councillor David Kerisson has long been an advocate for the recording of meetings since he was elected in 2018.

Improving the transparency of a council that has been plagued with issues in recent years was a high priority on his list.

Cr Kerisson first introduced a motion in December 2018 that instructed council to provide a report on the cost of having meetings recorded.

However once the report was presented in April the following year, it was shut down with councillors voting against endorsing recordings.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions excluding the public from the council chamber, a motion was revoked on April 7, 2020, that allowed for the live streaming of Playford’s meetings in order to still be accessible.

“Previously one of the arguments used against the live recordings was the cost to implement the system and the other one was that people were concerned about not having parliamentary privilege,” he said.

“But I think the role we have taken on and what we have committed to is probably greater than the concern about that issue.”

In the report presented in April 2019, council was quoted an approximate cost of $25,000 to purchase a three camera system for video recording, plus an additional $10,000 for installation.

Teleconferencing software Zoom is being utilised by council for recording and for councillors who cannot attend meetings in person.

Zoom is free to use and does not provide council with any additional costs.

Cr Kerisson said it made sense to revisit the proposal.

“All of a sudden we are delivering what I would like to see delivered without all these fancy systems,” he said.

At the May 26 ordinary council meeting Cr Kerrison moved to continue live streaming when restrictions were eased, which was seconded by Cr Akram Arif and ultimately carried.

Councillors were split on the motion though with 10 voting in favour and four voting against.

On October 27, a report was brought back to council by Chief Executive Officer Sam Green.

A motion was presented which had the options that council meetings be recorded or not recorded, which was carried.

Cr Clint Marsh hoped that the move would change council’s reputation to being open and transparent with ratepayers.

“I think we have become leaders now and I think it is time that we start advertising we are now leaders in openness and transparency under the new council and the new Chief Executive Officer,” he said.