Decisions are in the air as the next Casey Council meeting on Tuesday, 18 March may be closed to public attendance.
Casey’s mayor, Stefan Koomen, said that as it stands, “no decisions have been made yet”.
“But it’s a discussion we’re having with the councillors; we just want to make sure that our meetings are safe for the public,” he said.
Koomen added that more details on the meeting’s format will come with the release of the agenda on Thursday, 13 March.
The remainder of the councillors are in limbo, with talks of either possibility swaying the scale.
Kalora Ward councillor and Casey’s deputy Mayor, Melinda Ambros, said that she is not aware of any motions to move the meeting online.
“The one yesterday (Tuesday, 11 March) was online, that has been done, but the next one is something, at the moment and as far as I’m aware, that is going to be in person,” she said.
A council source, who asked to remain anonymous, said that while they can’t be certain, it’s “looking likely” that it will be online based on “police advice we’ve been getting”.
They also added that the gallery will most likely not be open in person, while it remains open to the possibility that councillors can join the meeting online from home or still remain in the chambers.
Speaking on fairness, they said that they were “not sure how to call it”.
“It’s not like we’re trying to keep residents from attending; it feels more like we’re backed into a bit of a corner here,” they said.
They also added that no matter the outcome, it’s a “lose-lose” situation for the council and that they are unsure of how the community will react.
“I’ve heard from some in the community that they’re planning to show up at Bunjil Place anyway, online or not,” they said.
“We’re trying to juggle it all, safety and being available to the public, but with people possibly turning up regardless, it’s feeling like no matter what is done, it’s a tough spot.”
Akoonah Ward councillor, Scott Dowling, is on a similar page, adding that the council is taking into consideration the advice of different official bodies.
“I think it should be in person, and I think most of the councillors would like it to be in person, but we do need to act on the advice of the Victoria Police and our own security,” he said.
“It has to do with their assessment because there have been threats to councillors and the council in general.”
Up north, Grevillea Ward councillor Dave Perry said that the council remains in deliberation but that he has not heard of any strong motions for an online meeting.
As for Casuarina Ward councillor Kim Ross, she said that the council is currently “looking at the best way to proceed with the meeting”.
“We’re primarily looking at everyone’s safety, including the residents who are attending and their safety, as well as being able to make decisions and move the motions of managing Casey forward,” she said.
Down south, Tooradin Ward councillor Jennifer Dizon said that “the plan has always been for it to be a public meeting”.
“The meeting that was conducted last night was just for the purpose of moving motions that weren’t dealt with last time, and hence, it was conducted online,” she said.
River Gum Ward councillor, Lynette Pereira, is of the same mind, saying that the meeting “is still going to be public”.
“Some of those people (before) are not local, but they just wanted to come and make a whole lot of noise,” she said.
When asked if the meeting would be online next week, Quarters Ward councillor Carolyn Eaves said, “not as far as I know and not as far as we’ve decided”.
“We know there’s a lot of angst in the community, and there’s been lots of threats made, but no decisions have been made yet.
“We had an online meeting yesterday, and it was purely admin to carry over the motions that we couldn’t go through because of the bad behaviour last meeting.
“I mean, the aggression they were showing, they were slapping each other on the back and smiling and congratulating each other when they thought they had sent a really vile comment.
“They’re congratulating each other, they were having a good time,” she said.
Another anonymous council source said that the council remains keen for the meeting to “remain open to the public”.
“But the ceo and the mayor must weigh-up safety risks for the council officers and the public,” they said.
Dillwynia Ward councillor Anthony Walter believes that it should remain open to the public but with “extra mitigation in place so there isn’t a repeat of last month”.
“Going online, of course, is a last resort, and if my fellow councillors and staff feel that is necessary for safety, then I will support them in that,” he said.
An official decision has yet to be made and will be coming in the next few days.
On 11 March, Greater Dandenong Council held a ‘hybrid’ meeting, with its public gallery closed due to security concerns.
After advice from Victoria Police, the council streamed its meeting online-only.
It stated that there were safety concerns after a “tiny number of people” had used “violent and threatening language online” in an ongoing dispute over the possible renaming of Afghan Bazaar in Dandenong.
No councillors or council officers had been threatened.
