Sarah Oliver
Melton councillors will not return to the council chamber until next May, opting to continue holding online meetings until then.
Councillors made the decision at last week’s council meeting despite neighbouring councils resuming in-person meetings this month. Under the Local Government Act, Victorian councils can conduct meetings online until April 27, 2022.
The decision to continue with online council meetings comes amid some councillors’ concerns about high COVID-19 infection rates in the community and the redevelopment of the council chamber to ensure future meetings are COVID-Safe.
However, neighbouring Hume, Wyndham and Brimbank councils have restarted in-person meetings. All three municipalities have more active COVID-19 cases than Melton, according to Department of Health data.
Cr Bob Turner told Star Weekly some Melton councillors with underlying health issues were apprehensive about resuming in-person meetings, while he believed there were other councillors who were not yet fully vaccinated.
Seven of Melton’s nine councillors were in attendance at the Melton Business Excellence Awards last Thursday night. Mayor Goran Kesic and Cr Moria Deeming were absent from the event. Star Weekly is not suggesting that Crs Kesic and Deeming are unvaccinated.
Melton council did not answer questions from Star Weekly about why the mayor was absent from the event, which celebrated the municipality’s businesses and included a Mayoral Achievement Award.
Cr Deeming said she was not in attendance “due to a severe illness in a close family member following a coerced COVID vaccination”.
Cr Sophie Ramsey told Star Weekly while she is fully vaccinated, she was supportive of the decision to continue with online meetings.
Acting council chief executive Maurie Heaney said online meetings have been successful with a higher attendance rate than when meetings we held in-person.
“In line with the organisation’s plan to transition back to the office in 2022, council meetings have been scheduled to return to the council chamber by the beginning of May,” Mr Heaney said.
“Councillors are fully aware of the vaccination requirements that apply and have been adhering to them.”
Cr Kesic did not return Star Weekly’s calls.
