Council allows residents and ratepayers the chance to voice opinions directly to Councillors at a Council meeting under certain circumstances.

This opportunity is called a Public Voice Session. The purpose of the Public Voice Session is to:

• Allow Council to hear directly from affected parties of their concerns regarding proposed development and also hear from the developers in response
• Allow individuals or organisations to present information about new ideas or recent developments relevant to local government
• Promote balanced decision making in relation to planning and development proposals.

 Public Voice Policy (243.7Kb)

If you wish to apply for a Public Voice Session please complete the form below:

 Public Voice Application (34kb)

Application forms can also be obtained by contacting Council's Dispute Resolution Coordinator on 02 4974 2727.

Applications for public voice in relation to planning and development matters must be lodged prior to the end of the applicable notification period (as specified in the Development Control Plan, Element 3.01 - Public Participation).

You will need to tell Council what you wish to talk about on the application form and identify the names, phone numbers or other contact details for each speaker (generally not more than two).

You will be asked to confirm your attendance at the Public Voice Session on the scheduled date for and be given general information about how to make an address.

Your privacy

The Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998  (PPIP Act) came into operation on 1 July 2000.

Information contained in any submission made to Council in relation to a DA may be “personal information” for the purposes of the PPIP Act.

Details of any submission, including your personal information, may be made available to:

• Officers within the Council for the purpose of assessing your submission
• Consultants who may be working for Council
• The applicant/owner or their appointed representatives
• People who apply to view Council’s file relating to the application in accordance with Council’s.