A PORT Stephens councillor has called on the local government organisation to reinstate webcasting at meetings in order to keep residents informed about the proposed amalgamation with Newcastle.
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Councillor Peter Kafer presented a notice of motion to the council’s general manager, Wayne Wallis, on Thursday to get the live webcasting system up and running again.
“In light of the proposed council amalgamation process, it behooves council to keep our community of Port Stephens in touch with the elected councilors,” Cr Kafer said.
It was Cr Kafer who initiated the webcasting idea in 2012.
The council spent $20,000 on technology to be able to webcast, and the system went live in March 2012.
However, in December that year councillors voted to cut the service due to defamation concerns.
“The webcast offers the opportunity for as many residents and ratepayers of the Port Stephens LGA to witness the process of the elected council through the amalgamation process, associated processes and functions,” Cr Kafer said.
“This is a valuable communication mechanism that council has at its disposal that can help impart information and thoughts in real time to our community.”
Cr Kafer said if the webcast had been operating at the extraordinary meeting held on Tuesday, January 19, the residents who could not attend could still have heard “words and thoughts” from elected councillors on the proposed merger.
The next council meeting will be held on February 2.
