Public Forums and Deputations provide valuable opportunities for community members to engage with the Whakatāne District Council. These platforms allow individuals, groups, or organisations to present matters of concern or interest directly to the local authority, even if these topics are not on the meeting's agenda.
Public Forums
Public forums are designed to enable members of the public to bring matters, not necessarily on the meeting’s agenda, to the attention of the local authority. Public Forums are scheduled at the beginning of each Council and Committee Meeting.
Permission of the Chair of the meeting is required for any person wishing to speak at the public forum.
Requests must be made to governance@whakatane.govt.nz at least five working days before the meeting; we will liaise with the appropriate Chair of the meeting you have requested to speak at, to seek approval for the request.
Your request should outline the matters that will be addressed by the speaker(s). Speakers can speak for up to 5 minutes.
Deputations
Deputations are designed to enable a person, group or organisation to make a presentation to a meeting on a matter or matters covered by that meeting's terms of reference.
Deputations should be approved by the Chair, or an official with delegated authority, five working days before the meeting.
Requests must be made to governance@whakatane.govt.nz, we will liaise with the appropriate Chair of the meeting you have requested to speak at, to seek approval for the request.
Requests should outline the matters that will be addressed by the speaker(s). Speakers can speak for up to 5 minutes.
For more details on Public Forums and Deputations, please read our Standing Orders documentation. The Public Forum detail is Point 15 on pages 49 & 50, the Deputation detail is Point 16 on Pages 50 & 51.