Welcome to the new era of attending a Casey Council Meeting.
Walking from the carpark to Bunjil Place, the first thing I noticed was a Victoria Police vehicle. Then, the white wooden waist-high fences at the entrance, which reminded me of the ones I bought to fend off my dinosaur-like puppy from wrecking my room.
More than four guards were stationed outside, each with a different role: one asked if I was attending, another checked my ID, a third just stood by, and a fourth pointed the way. Inside, two council staff pointed the way again, while four to five police officers sat around a table in front of the café.
There were only two people in the gallery, with more than 40 empty seats around them. I came straight to the first row and greeted one of them, then the other – the lady who was sitting very close to the exit/entrance door, only to find out she was from the Herald Sun.
The meeting began within two minutes. Four more attendees trickled in, bringing the total to seven. We, like attentive islanders, listened closely.
