Calling an item to the Development Control Committee

Once an agenda has been prepared, a Councillor may call any item to the Development Control Committee (DCC) for consideration provided the call is:

• by written or oral request by 3:00pm on the business day preceding the meeting, or
• by oral request by a Councillor in attendance at a Panel meeting, and
• reasons for the call are provided.

If an item is called to the DCC, the Chairperson will advise the public present at the Application Assessment Panel (AAP) meeting when the DCC meeting will be held to consider the "called item".

The AAP has no delegation to consider a "called" item.

Meeting procedure

The Chairperson will call the meeting to order, introduce the Panel members present and ask for apologies and late correspondence. The order of business will be as shown in the index to the agenda.

At the beginning of each item, the Chairperson will ask whether there are any members of the public who wish to address the Panel. Before hearing presentations, the Panel will review the proposal with the reporting officer.

Addressing the meeting

Members of the public may address the Panel on any item listed on the business paper.

It is not necessary to register before the meeting if you wish to address the meeting.

When an item is called for consideration, the Chairperson will ask whether there is anyone present who wishes to address the meeting. At this stage each person will be individually invited to come forward and make their presentation.

If a large number of people wish to address the Panel on a particular item, it will be at the discretion of the Chairperson to determine, with a view to fairness of representation, how many people may address the meeting.

Each person will be allowed to speak for 4 minutes only. Members of the Panel may ask speakers questions or seek clarification of matters raised by the speaker.

After any submission, the Panel may ask Council staff to comment on the matters raised by the speaker.

After considering all submissions and staff comments, the Panel will discuss the matter and make a determination.

Members of the public are not to enter into the debate of the matter, unless invited by the Chairperson to provide further comment.

Late correspondence

Late correspondence:

• may be submitted on a matter by anyone wishing to provide additional information to the Panel members.
• must be received by the Council prior to 12:00pm on the day of the meeting.
• will be distributed to all Panel members at the start of the meeting.

Outcomes from the Panel

What does each decision mean?

The Panel may make the following decision:

• Adopt the Council Officer's recommendation without change:
  This decision becomes the resolution of Council and Council staff will take action to implement the decision. Staff will forward notification letters to the applicant, objectors and other parties who have submitted written comments to Council.
• Adopt the Council Officer's recommendation with minor changes:
  This decision becomes the resolution of Council and Council staff will take action to implement the decision. Staff will forward notification letters to the applicant, objectors and other parties who have submitted written comments to Council.
• Adopt the Council Officer's recommendation with substantial changes:
  Where a substantial change is made to the Officer's recommendation, the new recommendation of the Panel is automatically referred back to the AAP meeting in 2 weeks' time. The purpose of this is to provide an opportunity for Councillors to consider the proposed new recommendation of the Panel and consider whether they wish to "Call" the matter to the DCC.
• Adopt some other recommendation:
  If this occurs the new recommendation of the Panel is automatically referred back to the AAP meeting in 2 weeks' time. The purpose of this is to provide an opportunity for Councillors to consider the proposed new recommendation of the Panel and consider whether they wish to "Call" the matter to the DCC.
• Defer the matter to a future AAP meeting:
  The Panel may require additional information from interested parties or Council staff and therefore may defer the matter to a future AAP meeting to allow the additional information to be obtained.
• Defer the matter to a site inspection:
  The Panel members may wish to undertake a site inspection to obtain a better understanding of the issues of the application.
  
  Site inspections will be held at a time convenient to Panel members and where possible, at times convenient to the applicant and/or objectors.
  
  Due to legal requirements concerning the determination of applications, it may not always be possible to schedule an inspection time suitable to all interested parties.
  
  After the site inspection has been held, the matter will be referred to the next available AAP meeting for determination.
• Refer the matter to a committee of the Council:
  The Panel may refer any matter to a committee of Council where exceptional concern is expressed. If this occurs the Chairperson will advise the members of the public what committee will consider the matter and when.

After the meeting

After each meeting Council staff will implement the decision of the Council. Staff will also forward letters to all interested parties that made formal submissions to Council, advising them of Council's decision.

Minutes of the meeting

Minutes of the meeting will be available three days after the meeting on Council's website.