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Reporter Joseph Hinchliffe will be tweeting and posting a live video on Periscope of the council meeting from 6pm. Follow him on @joe_hinchliffe or watch live via Periscope.
8.15pm: Meeting closed. Full report to come.
7.40pm: Council tabled a failed mediation report between councillors Elise Chapman and Helen Leach as complainants and the former mayor, Councillor Peter Cox.
According to the report:
“The need for a mediation session arose from a submission dated 25 September 2015 from Councillor Chapman and Councillor Leach (Complainants) alleging breaches of Council Policies by Councillor Cox (Respondent).”
Speaking to the Bendigo Advertiser earlier today, both Mayor Rod Fyffe and City of Greater Bendigo CEO Craig Niemann said they expected the matter would now go before a Councillor Conduct Panel.
"It is disappointing, because you would hope people can sort out their differences,” Mayor Fyffe said.
“We live in a democracy where not everyone is always going to agree... but they should respect each other's opinions.
It's a minor distraction but we're focused on what we can deliver for our community – that's the overriding commitment that we have.”
7pm: Council votes to release the draft Domestic Animal Management Plan 2016 - 2020 for the purpose of seeking community comment for a period of 4 weeks.
The report acknowledged the three main areas of interest were to:
- Support in principle the creation of additional dog exercise areas.
- Not extend the sunset to sunrise cat curfew during the life of the 2016 – 2020 Plan.
- Not introduce a law requiring dogs to be on leash at all times.
6.50pm: Onto animal management plan. Councillor Peter Cox calls on people to submit their ideas over the next four weeks.
He said he supports a 24-hour cat curfew and would have liked it to be recommended under the plan.
6.46pm: Councillors have voted in favour to contribute $800,000 toward $4.1 million dollar upgrade on RSL upgrade.
6.45pm: Strong police presence at council meeting and several protesters, including a man in a burka and another in a koala suit waving an Australian flag.
onight’s City of Greater Bendigo meeting will be the first of this council chaired by Mayor Rod Fyffe and the first to relax temporary security measures imposed after meeting was cancelled due to anti-mosque protests.
Councillor Fyffe was sworn in for his fourth stint as mayor earlier this month and has said he is focused on the future and keen to move on from the tensions of previous months.