A MOVE to reinstate public question time after meetings is to be considered by Bundaberg Regional Council.
While the old Bundaberg City Council did not allow questions from the floor, the Burnett Shire Council had a system where the public could submit written questions which would be handed in at the end of the meeting and answered by the mayor or the CEO.
At a council meeting yesterday Councillor Danny Rowleson moved successfully that a report be prepared on the feasibility of establishing a question time for the public at the end of each council meeting.
But Councillor Mary Wilkinson said she did not think it was necessary.
"There are too many issues involved for questioning in open council," she said.
Cr Wilkinson said councillors were available after meetings for anyone who wanted to discuss issues.
After the meeting Cr Rowleson said he believed councils should be open and transparent and he was not confronted by having to answer any questions.
"I'll take any question and if I can't answer it right away I'll take it on board and get back to them with an answer later," he said.
Cr Rowleson said he was hopeful of getting his proposal through and had discussed the matter with some of the other councillors after the meeting.
Bargara resident Bill Loudon, one of the most enthusiastic users of question time during the life of the Burnett Shire Council, said he was ambivalent about the proposal.
"I'm all for it, but even more I would like open council meetings where they get away from all these little meetings they have behind closed doors," he said.
"I'm all for just openness," he said.
Fellow question time devotee and Elliott Heads and District Ratepayers and Residents Association life member Bill Murray said he campaigned for question time during the Burnett Shire Council.
However, he did not think association members cared about the issue one way or the other because not many of them attended council meetings.
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