Cameras banned from meetings

Interim general manager David Aber informed Witness managing editor Edwina Mason last week that the use of a mobile phone to take photos of proceedings was prohibited.

It was, as Ms Mason pointed out to the interim general manager, not an issue when the newly-elected mayor Brian Ingram posed for a photo after his election in September.

“I warned the mayor I was using a recording device to take his photo,” she said, “but when he dismissed that I thought it was permissable. I mean we have been using cameras in council meetings at least for the past five years,” she said.

“As technology and social media have evolved I have taken to using my phone instead of the cumbersome Nikon because it is easier to email the photo back to the office.”

The dilemma now is how the Witness, who will be required to report directly from meetings in the future using the latest technology in iPhones and iPads, will illustrate stories.

“They’re usually dry topics and hardly raise much interest in the community anyway - so I suppose they will be even less palatable or we put our resources into covering other items of interest in the community,” she said.

Mr Abber reinforced the clause within the NSW Local Government Act, that tape recording of a meeting of council or committee was prohibited without permission.

But a recent motion by Councillors Stuart Freudenstein and Brian Mullany that council does not record meetings was lost.

Several other councillors, including deputy mayor Ben Cooper, said they didn’t have a problem with the meetings being recorded.

Mr Aber confirmed The Young Witness will now be required to seek permission from council if they wish to record meetings or take photos.