After lunch, everything changed in the chamber

Upon returning from lunch to Council’s gruelling Thursday marathon meeting, I discover a fan placed next to the chair in the media booth.

It’s hot in the room so I welcome sitting in the cool breeze. But then I realise that I can’t hear anything the councillors and staff are saying.

Instantly a different perspective emerges – body language now replaces largely meaningless words. Cr Cameron mumbles in the same tone as Staples and Tabart, so there is no discernible difference of opinion. It’s great to have an altered state of perception in the Council chambers for once.

But it doesn’t suit them, and soon frustrations rise over the lack of microphone and audio quality in the chamber. Councillors ask staff to speak up, and those in the gallery ask the councillors to speak up. It’s a cacophony and the fan is still going, so I turn it off.

Cr Tony Heeson, who I have never heard say anything before, stops the yabber yabber in an instant.

He leans into the microphone and clearly says, ‘If the microphones were extended we wouldn’t have to do anything.’

Proving his point, Cr Woods leans forward – almost climbing onto the desk – to reach the mic as she speaks next.

Perhaps Cr Heeson’s suggestion could be acted upon. All it needs is an electrician/handyman to reposition 16 microphones closer to the edge of the desks. No reports, no notice of motions, no discussions. Just please do it.
And while on the topic, to all councillor hopefuls out there planning to run for the upcoming elections: please start turning up to meetings. There is no other way of learning how the factory operates other than seeing the spectacle for yourself.