About Council meetings

All Council decisions are made at Council meetings.

Council typically meets on the third Wednesday of each month in the Cessnock City Council Chambers. Members of the public can attend the meeting in person, or watch the meetings live online, as well as view past meetings.

2024 Council meeting dates

  • 21 February 2024 (Ordinary Meeting)
  • 20 March 2024 (Ordinary Meeting)
  • 17 April 2024 (Ordinary Meeting)
  • 15 May 2024 (Ordinary Meeting)
  • 19 June 2024 (Ordinary Meeting)
  • 17 July 2024 (Ordinary Meeting)
  • 21 August 2024 (Ordinary Meeting)
  • 16 October (Extraordinary Meeting)
  • 23 October 2024 (Ordinary Meeting)
  • 20 November 2024 (Ordinary Meeting)
  • 11 December 2024 (Ordinary Meeting)

Note there is no meeting scheduled for September due to the Local Government Elections.

2025 Council meeting dates

  • 19 February 2025 (Ordinary Meeting)
  • 19 March 2025 (Ordinary Meeting)
  • 16 April 2025 (Ordinary Meeting)
  • 21 May 2025 (Ordinary Meeting)
  • 18 June 2025 (Ordinary Meeting)
  • 16 July 2025 (Ordinary Meeting)
  • 20 August 2025 (Ordinary Meeting)
  • 17 September 2025 (Ordinary Meeting)
  • 15 October 2025 (Ordinary Meeting)
  • 19 November 2025 (Ordinary Meeting)
  • 10 December 2025 (Ordinary Meeting)

Governance of meetings

The Local Government Act 1993 (Act) determines the general rules of council meetings. It specifies the role of the Mayor, Councillors and General Manager and includes requirements such as: 

  • the public access to meetings 
  • the number of meetings that must be held during the year
  • the minimum number of Councillors that must be present to hold a meeting (quorum)

Council has also adopted a Code of Meeting Practice.(PDF, 566KB) The code determines the rules that are specific to Cessnock City Council's meetings. It includes procedures for the general conduct of speeches and matters such as motions or amendments. The code complies with the Local Government Regulation 2021.

Type of meetings

Ordinary meetings

Council meetings are open to the public and are held on the third Wednesday of each month.There may be additional meetings from time to time, and dates may change during weeks with public holidays. Resolutions on any matter may be made at ordinary meetings.

Closed meetings 

There are occasions when we need to discuss items of a confidential nature. Under the Act, if the elected Council moves into closed session due to confidentiality, all members of the gallery, including the media, must leave the Chamber. 

Extraordinary meetings

Occasionally Council holds extraordinary meetings. These are Council meetings held outside the normal meeting cycle, typically to consider matters of an urgent nature.

Minutes and agendas

Before each meeting, Council staff prepare business papers detailing the items that are to be presented at the meeting. These are made available on the Minutes and agendas page one week before a scheduled Council meeting.

Business papers help inform Councillor decisions and can include reports, recommendations or notices of motion. Business papers are only proposals. Councillors may amend the proposals, decide not to pursue or approve them, and can suggest a different course of action.

Once a decision is made, it becomes a resolution of Council and is added to the Minutes and agendas page following the meeting.

Conflict of interest

Councillors (or members of a Council Committee) must disclose a conflict of interest when attending a meeting that concerns a matter in which they have a pecuniary interest.

The Councillor (or Council Committee member) must not be present at, or in sight of, the meeting of the Council or Committee:

  • at any time during which the matter is being considered or discussed by the elected Council or Committee
  • at any time during which the elected Council or Committee is voting on any question in relation to the matter

Councillors (or Council Committee members) are also required to disclose non-pecuniary conflicts of interest. Declarations are recorded in the Register of Conflict of Interest Disclosures at Council Meeting.(XLS, 542KB)

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