Thespian Councillors ?

Wollongong council seems likely to turn down a proposal to stream council meetings live on the Internet.  This is a new innovation, recently adopted by Shellharbour - but there is a doubt that public interest would warrant the cost of setting up and running such a service..

Public funds would need to find $ 57,000 for set up costs, and it would cost a further $ 21,000 a year to maintain this service, and enquiries reveal that Shellharbour council meetings attract an average viewing audience of between thirty and forty people per session.

Shakespeare once said that " All the world's a stage " and putting people before cameras seems certain to bring out the Thespian instinct in many.   Do we really need councillors hamming it up for possible viewer appeal - and do we need " Dorothy Dix " questions to set the stage for long and boring political replies ?

There is also a concern that live broadcasts will result in a surge of defamation cases, although it is hard to see why this should happen, given that the media give council matters close coverage and any acrimony is the spice that makes reports interesting reading.

Proponents claim that putting cameras in council meetings enhances the " transparency "  that many of those seeking office proposed, but cynics would argue that it would merely extend the farce of the ABC's telecast of " Question Time " from Federal parliament.     Why risk denigrating council meetings by depicting a " pack of clowns " acting disgracefully in public view ?

There are valid arguments for and against, but the real issue is cost.   There is certainly not strong public demand for such a service and most likely the only time it would attract viewers is when a contentious issue is being decided - and that is something that usually brings the public into the viewing gallery in big numbers.

This city is scratching the bottom of the finance barrel to provide essential services such as footpaths and roads without pot holes.   It would be hard to justify setting up a Webcan coverage of council meetings as having priority in the allocation of council funds.

A thumb's down would be a sensible decision !