Matter of timing

By Alison Noonan
CASEY Council meeting times are not “family friendly”, according to councillor Lorraine Wreford.
Cr Wreford sparked a mini debate at last week’s council meeting when she called for the meeting time to be changed from 6.30pm to 7.30pm.
The single mother and full-time worker claimed the current time was inconvenient and too early for residents working out of the municipality to attend.
“I work and I find it extremely difficult to make it here on time,” she said.
“I have to come straight from work and miss out on seeing my family before I come to council.
“It is also impossible for residents who work in the city to make it to council by 6.30pm or parents who are preparing dinner at that time.”
However, councillors argued that the length of the meetings warranted an earlier starting time.
River Gum Ward councillor Wayne Smith said the 6.30pm start had made no difference to the public attendance at meetings and enabled councillors to return home at a reasonable hour.
“I am happy to look at returning to 7.30pm starts if they can assure me I will come out of the meetings earlier. It is not family friendly to come home at 1am,” he said.
“It was my idea to reschedule the meetings to 6.30pm in the first place because I was tired of finishing so late.
“The public will come to the meetings no matter what time they start. People come to council because they have an issue so they will make time to get there.”
Councillors agreed to retain the current meeting time start at 6.30pm and review the decision if necessary after further discussion at an upcoming “issues” meeting.