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UPDATE 7.24pm: Cr Ruffell says the relationship is about "sharing knowledge" and about the community opening its door. The motion is carried.
UPDATE 7.23pm: Cr Weragoda says international relations are very important. Cr Leach questions what relationship with Haimen City will achieve.
UPDATE: 7.20pm: Cr Williams says council should invite reps from Haimen City to visit Bendigo. Says south-east Asia offers many opportunities.
UPDATE 7.12pm: The City of Greater Bendigo has released an official statement from Mayor Peter Cox regarding Cr Elise Chapman.
It reads: "Greater Bendigo City Council has tonight decided to extend discussions with Cr Elise Chapman in response to a Tweet she sent to a resident on February 22."
UPDATE 7.09pm: Cr Campbell strongly endorses motion.
UPDATE 7.08pm: Demolition of Barnard Street property on agenda now. Council recommended to approve it.
UPDATE 6.58pm: ASU rep Billy King says he is disappointed by tonight's meeting and is certain the council will forgo home and community care.
UPDATE 6.55pm: Council debating a proposed subdivision in Barney Street, North Bendigo. Recommended to refuse it
UPDATE 6.52pm: Outside the gallery, Cr Chapman's supporters say they are disappointed with question time, saying council isn't listening to them.
UPDATE 6.45pm: Planning scheme amendment on heritage policies being discussed by council. Gallery much more sedate.
UPDATE 6.35pm: To summarise, Cr Cox says there has been no decision made on Cr Chapman's tweet. Further discussions will take place in coming weeks.
UPDATE 6.31pm: People have started filing out of the chamber at the end of question time.
UPDATE 6.30pm: Question time is over.
UPDATE 6.28pm: Cr Cox says a decision on home and community care will be made in coming weeks. He said the issue of cost shifting needed to be taken into account, citing figures from NSW where councils don't provide HACC.
UPDATE 6.27pm: Julie, member of the public, urges council to read research showing public care provides best outcomes.
UPDATE 6.26pm: Billy King urges council to listen to the community, which receives cheers.
UPDATE 6.23pm: Cr Cox stresses council's decision on home and community care is "provisional"and not final after question from ASU representative Billy King.
UPDATE 6.22pm: Celeste asks when will the council start listening to the community and valuing its opinions.
UPDATE 6.20pm: Cr Williams attempted to move a motion to shut down question time because members of the gallery were not asking questions, but "making statements". Cr Cox said he would allow question time to continue.
UPDATE 6.19pm: Cathleen Howard has accused the mayor of orchestrating a witch hunt against Cr Chapman. She asks: "Are councillors scared of the truth?"
UPDATE 6.18pm: Cr Cox again stresses no decision has been made on Cr Chapman, but says her tweet was "out of line". Cr Cox says he wants a "fruitful" discussion.
UPDATE 6.17pm: A member of the gallery asks whether council can write to the Municipal Association of Victoria to refer Cr Chapman to a code of conduct panel.
UPDATE 6.15pm: The gallery is becoming vocal, as Ms Hoskin sits down to applause after call for the CEO's resignation.
UPDATE 6.14pm: Ms Hoskin says Cr Cox failed to answer here correspondence to him. There are many Cr Chapman supporters in the gallery.
UPDATE 6.11pm: Julie Hoskin has presented a petition to council. Ms Hoskin accused CEO Mr Niemann of presenting his opinions on Ms Chapman's tweet. She asked whether he permitted Mr Niemann to speak to the media.
UPDATE 6.10pm: Ms Spalding asks what is council doing to promote the city's image of being inclusive.
UPDATE 6.09pm: Margot Spalding has asked a question during public question time. She says Bendigo's image has been tarnished in the past week.
UPDATE 6.07pm: Cr Cox says the matter with Cr Chapman is unresolved. He says the tweet was against the council's code of conduct.
"We're making progress," Cr Cox said.
UPDATE 6.05pm: Mayor Peter Cox says councillors had a separate meeting with Cr Chapman and himself before tonight's meeting.
UPDATE 6.03pm: Cr Rod Fyffe and Cr Rod Campbell have also arrived, meaning all councillors except for Cr Lyons are present.
UPDATE 6.02pm: Cr Helen Leach is also present. Cr Barry Lyon won't be attending due to previous commitments.
UPDATE 6.01pm: Cr Elise Chapman has walked in to applause from the crowd.
UPDATE: 6pm: Councillors James Williams, Mark Weragoda and Lisa Ruffell have arrived, along with chief executive officer Craig Niemann.
UPDATE: 5.52pm: The chamber is completely packed, with about 120 people seated inside. No sign of councillors yet, including Cr Elise Chapman.
UPDATE 5.50pm: Police have arrived at Town Hall.
GOOD evening. We are now live from the City of Greater Bendigo council chambers.
Tonight's meeting has been preceded by an Australian Workers Union-led rally in the Bendigo Town Hall gardens, protesting council's provisional decision to withdraw from community care.
But most interest will centre on a statement, to be made by Mayor Peter Cox on behalf of council, on the conduct of Cr Elise Chapman who sent a graphic tweet to a supporter of the Bendigo mosque.
The tweet contained a graphic and disturbing image of babies with mutilated genitals.
Cr Cox and Cr Chapman met in private on Tuesday to discuss the councillor's behaviour.
The pair have agreed not to make any comments on their discussions until tonight's meeting.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the mayor said tonight's meeting would be the best way of informing both the public and the council of the outcome of the pair's discussion.
More to come