• Section 1 - Agenda Items
• Section 2 - Distribution of Agenda
• Section 3 - Quorum
• Section 4 - Postponement of Meetings
• Section 5 - Observers
• Section 6 - Order of Business
• Section 7 - Motions
• Section 8 - Right to Address the Chair
• Section 9 - Voting
• Section 10 - Decisions
• Section 11 - Suspension of Standing Orders

Section 1 - Agenda Items

(1) Except in emergencies as determined by the Chancellor, notice of items for discussion shall be conveyed by letter to the Secretary to Council 14 days before a meeting. Such items received from members of the Council, shall form part of the Agenda. The Chancellor shall have discretion in determining whether or not submissions from elsewhere shall be accepted for consideration by the Council.

Section 2 - Distribution of Agenda

(2) Distribution of the Agenda prior to meetings shall be restricted to members of the Council, Cost Centre Heads, Senior Executive Staff and the Minute Secretary. Observers' agenda shall be available for perusal prior to meetings by staff and the media, in the LIC, staff rooms and the Secretary to Council's Office, and by students in the LIC and the offices of student organisations on all campuses.

Section 3 - Quorum

(3) A majority of the total number of members for the time being of the Council constitutes a quorum.

Section 4 - Postponement of Meetings

(4) Any meeting of the Council shall be postponed if, one hour after the time set for the meeting, insufficient members are present to constitute a quorum. A time and place for the postponed meeting will be set at which meeting, if a quorum is not present within one hour after the time set for the meeting, the Chancellor may legally proceed without the necessary quorum.

Section 5 - Observers

(5) Council meetings are open to the public, except when matters are considered in committee, but shall not be filmed or otherwise electronically recorded.

(6) A person who is not a member of the Council shall not be permitted to address the Council unless application is made in writing and approved by the Chancellor. An application not made in writing may be accepted by the Chancellor or by the Council by resolution passed by a majority of the members present.

Section 6 - Order of Business

(7) The business of the meeting shall be considered in the order set out on the agenda except that the order of items may be changed with the approval of the Council. Consideration of items on the agenda may be deferred.

Section 7 - Motions

(8) The Chair has discretion regarding the acceptance of motions. The Chair's discretionary ruling may be reversed if the majority of the members present support a motion to this effect.

(9) All notices of motion accepted by the Chair shall appear on the business paper for the meeting concerned. These motions shall be given to the Secretary to Council in writing and shall contain the signature of the proposer.

(10) A motion which is ruled by the Chair to have the effect of amending or rescinding a previous resolution of the Council or altering policy shall not normally be accepted except as a notice of motion for a subsequent meeting.

(11) Except for a motion from the Chair, a motion must be seconded before there may be any discussion.

(12) A point of order accepted by the Chair takes precedence over all other discussion.

(13) Amendments shall be considered prior to a vote on the substantive motion.

(14) All amendments must be relevant to the original motion and no amendment may directly negate the substantive motion or the original motion.

(15) Whenever an amendment is moved upon the original proposal, no further amendment shall be voted on until the first amendment has been disposed of.

(16) Motions or amendments may be withdrawn by the proposer with the approval of the seconder and with the consent of the members.

(17) Though there is a motion before the Council and whether or not there is an amendment to the motion before the Council, it may be moved and seconded by persons who have not hitherto participated in the motion or amendment:

1. 'That the Council does now adjourn';
2. 'That the Council proceed to the next business';
3. 'That the question be put', provided that at least two people have spoken for and two people against the motion. Such a motion shall not be moved while a member is speaking. It shall be put to the vote without discussion.

(18) If (17)a is carried the Council shall forthwith determine the time and place for the meeting to be resumed.

(19) If (17)b is carried the matter may not be raised again except as a formal item of business at a subsequent meeting. If it is lost, discussion may continue and the same motion shall not be proposed again during the discussion until a period of 15 minutes has elapsed.

(20) If (17)c is carried the question shall be put forthwith.

(21) The Chair may request the proposer of a motion to submit the motion in writing.

(22) A motion for making, rescinding or amending a standing order shall not be made except in pursuance of notice given at the previous meeting of the Council, or conveyed to the Secretary to Council in writing within 14 clear days before the meeting, and a resolution for any such purpose shall require a simple majority of the members present.

Section 8 - Right to Address the Chair

(23) Prior to the closure of a debate a right of reply shall be allowed only to a proposer of a substantive motion and such reply shall close the relevant debate.

(24) Except at the discretion of the Chair a member other than the proposer of a substantive motion may not speak more than once to a question before the meeting.

(25) At the discretion of the Chair a speaker may be asked to yield the floor on a point of information.

Section 9 - Voting

(26) Voting will normally be on the voices except that any member may request a show of hands, and a majority of members present may request a secret ballot.

(27) Elections for office bearers shall be by secret ballot. Voting shall be on a 'first past the post' basis. Where more than one position is to be filled, the positions will be voted on seriatim.

(28) A motion shall be declared carried, apart from motions for suspension of a standing order and continuation of a meeting after 5.00 pm, if it receives a simple majority of votes cast. The Chair shall have a deliberative vote and, in the event of a tie, the right of casting vote.

Section 10 - Decisions

(29) Decisions of the Council shall be made on the result of a vote on:

1. a motion prior notice of which has been given in the business paper; or
2. a formal seconded motion arising from the business of the meeting.

Section 11 - Suspension of Standing Orders

(30) In exceptional circumstances the Chair may move the suspension of Standing Orders.

(31) A resolution for the suspension of a standing order shall require a two-thirds majority of the members present.