Placing party politics aside, we live in a highly populated Local Government Area and our Blacktown Local Government is the important Local Government Body that makes daily important decisions possibly improving our communities.
In this high technological and modern day of age, Blacktown City Council should not only consider live viewing of meetings to the General public, they could look at uploading videos of meetings as the below uploaded video on 'YouTube' or audio Podcasts, on their own website.
The ratepayers and electors of Mount Druitt Wards 4 and 5 Blacktown City Council (as well as the rest of Blacktown City Council) have a right to take interest and view the proceedings of Council business, even if they can't make it to Council Meetings, due to personal commitments and they would be interested to see decisions that are being made.
Yet, if Council provides live Podcasts, our community will take better interest to local improvements in developments and or issues and be better educated with Council's decisions. Children and students learning the subject of local government will have a better understanding of proceedings and operations.
Besides students and children, the same goes with the rest of the general public, they want to know what is happening. If and when Council agrees to this, then I'm sure that all local medias will assist the Council to spread the word, so that viewing Podcasts can be watched live or outside of Meeting times. Consideration may also be provided for the same viewing for Committee Meetings, but at this stage not priority.
For the public to attend meetings, the seating in Blacktown City Council Chambers doesn't cover for thousands of people! This is for obvious reasons.The gallery at the Council Meetings are
generally full when there is a 'hot topic' to talk about! I know I have
attended a quite a few of them!
Feed back to Blacktown City Council on videos, doesn't show the people at the main desk/table and the volume may need to be turned up for recording!
Live Podcasts has been rejected by Council before, maybe this could be overturned and it will show that Councilors are passionate to their constituents, allowing to understand how they are representing them on issues raised and results. Many other Councils are doing it around Sydney! Even Audio Podcasts could be good start - if Council didn't want to approve of live views of Council Meetings.
If the community is to upload on Youtube Parts of Council Meetings, may I make a suggestion and suggest that all Council meetings are uploaded on Youtube ever since Council has been videoing all General Meetings! This would be a great initiative for the community to see! The other day I was searching "Blacktown City Council Meetings" and shocked to see uploaded video on Youtube from the community, know that Live Podcasts was rejected before by Councillors. I know they are different forms of media but I thought if they ban Live Podcasts - they also would Ban uploading of parts of Council proceedings. Mind you it was good to see live the Mayoral Elections of 2015!
Another idea is to have video Podcasts of Blacktown City Council news and updates on the their website. This could be a monthly report from every Councillor, Manager's and the Mayor outlining the highlights of the month. Let's get into the modern age of using the internet to the communities advantage as well as Councillor's and Officer's of Council as well.
Click here for previous blog
Click here for Blacktown City Council Mayoral Election 2014 video uploaded on YouTube
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