Shire of Augusta-Margaret River council quits Q&A forums after lack of public interest

The Shire of Augusta-Margaret River has ditched its monthly question-and-answer sessions after acknowledging residents didn’t show enough interest.

As part of a decision made about 2025 meeting dates last week, councillors also foreshadowed introduction of possible public agenda forums which were a format endorsed by local government authorities as a way to thrash out details for upcoming meetings where the public could also get involved.

Deputy shire president Tracey Muir said ratepayers showed little interest in the Q&A format which was introduced after councillors moved from twice monthly ordinary council meetings to just one per month.

Cr Muir said the intention behind the sessions was to foster community engagement.

“I don’t think the Q&A sessions provided that adequately,” she said last week.

“It didn’t get much attendance at all.”

While the Q&A sessions were done away with, Cr Muir and others encouraged looking for further ways to engage ratepayers in the business of local government.

However, first term councillor and Town of Cottesloe veteran member Greg Boland was against pulling the pin.

He told his colleagues he didn’t want to reduce ways residents could participate.

Cr Boland failed in a bid to amend the council decision for a stay of execution on the forums.

The Times understands councillors had a briefing on possible alternative forum concepts prior to last Wednesday’s meeting which would be considered early next year.

In endorsing the 2025 meeting dates last week, councillors retained a decision first made in 2017 to avoid meetings during public holidays so as not to disadvantage parents running for council.

Next year would also include three meetings in Augusta, though there will be none in Cowaramup.

Shire president Julia Meldrum said she was “confident” the Q&A sessions would be replaced.