Procedure at meetings - parts 31 to 40 | City of Greater Geelong

3.31 Withdrawal of motions

3.31.1	Before any motion or amendment is put to the vote, it may be withdrawn by the mover and seconder with the leave of the Council.
3.31.2	Where the mover and seconder call for a motion or amendment to be withdrawn, the Chairperson will ask all Councillors if they agree to the withdrawal. If the majority of Councillors objects to the withdrawal of the motion or amendment, it may not be withdraw and the Chairperson must proceed to put the motion or amendment to the vote.

3.32 Motions or amendments in writing

3.32.1	The Chairperson may require that a complex or detailed motion or amendment be in writing.
3.32.2	The Chairperson may adjourn the meeting while the motion or amendment is being written or may defer the matter in the order of business, until the motion or amendment has been written.

3.33 Repeating a motion

The chairperson may request the person taking the minutes of the meeting to read the motion or amendment to the meeting before the vote is taken.

3.34 Debate of the motion

3.34.1	Debate must always be relevant to the motion or amendment before the meeting, and, if not, the chairperson must request the speaker to confine the debate to the motion or amendment.
3.34.2	If the speaker continues to debate irrelevant matters after being requested to confine debate, the chairperson may direct the speaker to be seated and not to speak further in respect of the motion or amendment before the chairperson.
3.34.3	A speaker to whom a direction has been given under this clause must comply with that direction.
3.34.4	Councillors may remain seated to address the chairperson, to move or second a motion or amendment, or to take part in a debate.
3.34.5	The councillor acknowledged by the chairperson is to speak and must not be interrupted unless:
	3.34.5.1	They are called to order; or
	3.34.5.2	Their speaking time has expired; or
	3.34.5.3	A point of order is raised.

3.35 Addressing the meeting

If the chairperson so determines:

3.35.1	Any person addressing the chairperson must refer to the chairperson as:
	3.35.1.1	Mayor; or
	3.35.1.2	Madam mayor; or
	3.35.1.3	Mr mayor; or
	3.35.1.4	Chair; or
	3.35.1.5	Madam chair; or
	3.35.1.6	Mr chair
	As the case may be;
3.35.2	All councillors, other than the Mayor, must be addressed as cr (surname).
3.35.3	All members of council staff must be addressed by their official title followed by their surname where appropriate.
3.35.4	Councillors must address each other by their official titles during debate and throughout a meeting.

3.36 Lost motions

If a motion is lost without a subsequent motion then being carried it will not be automatically determined that the outcome is contrary to the lost motion. Councillors should instead move a motion detailing further requirements or actions after any motion which is lost.

3.37 Time limits

3.37.1	A council meeting must start within 30 minutes of the advertised start time.
3.37.2	A meeting may not continue after 10.00 pm unless a majority of councillors present vote in favour of its continuance. In the absence of such continuance, a meeting must stand adjourned to a time, date and place announced by the chairperson immediately before the standing meeting is adjourned.
3.37.3	A councillor may speak for no longer than the time specified below, unless the chairperson grants an extension:
	3.37.3.1	The mover of a motion	5 minutes
	3.37.3.2	Any other speaker	3 minutes
	3.37.3.3	The mover of a motion exercising the right of reply	2 minutes

3.38 Voting

3.38.1	To determine a motion before a meeting, the chairperson must first call for those in favour of the motion, then those opposed to the motion. The chairperson must declare the result of the vote.
3.38.2	Councillor must vote by show of hands when the chairperson puts a motion to the vote.
3.38.3	All councillors present in the meeting room when a vote is taken must vote once only.
3.38.4	The chairperson must use a casting/second vote if the number of votes in favour of a motion is half the number of councillor present.
3.38.5	The chairperson may direct that a vote be recounted to be satisfied of the result.
3.38.6	The chief executive officer must direct that the minutes of the meeting record the name of any councillor who requests that their vote be recorded against the motion or amendment.
3.38.7	Voting must take place in silence.

3.39 Division

3.39.1	Immediately after the vote on any motion at a meeting and before the next item of business has commenced, a councillor may call for a division.
3.39.2	When a division is called for, the vote already taken must be treated as set aside and the division shall decide the question, motion or amendment.
3.39.3	The chairperson must first call upon councillors to vote in favour of the motion and then call upon councillor to vote against the motion if a councillor has requested a division.
3.39.4	Councillors must vote by show of hands and the chairperson must declare the result of the division.
3.39.5	The chief executive officer must direct that the minutes record the names of the councillors who voted in favour of the motion, the names of the councillors who voted against the motion, and the result of the division.

3.40 Points of order

3.40.1	A point of order is taken when a councillor officially draws the attention of the chairperson to an alleged irregularity in the meeting proceedings or procedures.
3.40.2	A councillor may make a point of order on the grounds that a matter is:
	3.40.1	Contrary to these rules;
	3.40.2	Defamatory or derogatory of any councillor, city officer, or member of the community;
	3.40.3	Irrelevant;
	3.40.4	Offensive;
	3.40.5	Constitutes a tedious repetition of something already said;
	3.40.6	Prejudicial to any other person or the council;
	3.40.7	A matter that should be considered in a session of a meeting closed to the public, in accordance with the act;
	3.40.8	Outside the council’s functions or power; or
	3.40.9	Improper,
	Or on the grounds that a person in the chamber is being disruptive or unruly during any meeting.
3.40.3	The chairperson must decide on all points of order.
3.40.4	The chairperson may adjourn the meeting to consider a point of order but otherwise must rule on it as soon as it is raised.
3.40.5	All other questions before the meeting are suspended until the point of order is decided.

Page last updated: Monday, 30th March 2026

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Procedure at meetings - parts 31 to 40

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