Systems for Public Access

This page provides links to information on the ways to access the Porirua City Council and its elected members.

Contacting the Councillors

Members of the public can contact the Porirua City Council and its elected members either by telephone, facsimile, or mail.  The Mayor, the Porirua City Council and most of the Councillors can also be contacted by email.  In addition, members of the public are welcome to call into the Main Administration Building at 16 Cobham Court to make enquiries or view agendas for meetings.  Agendas for, and minutes of meetings can also be viewed at the public libraries, or from our Meetings Documents System.

Public Attendance at Meetings

Members of the public are also welcome to attend meetings of Council and its Committees as observers.  You will, however, be asked to leave the meeting when a resolution to exclude the news media and public is passed. 

Deputations, Public Forum and Petitions

Members of the public may attend committee meetings to express their views during the Public Forum time, either as individuals or as part of a deputation, subject to the following conditions:

  • Any person wishing to participate in the public forum preceding the committee meeting needs to advise the Chairperson, or the Chief Executive, at least three working days prior to the day on which the committee is meeting (or later at the discretion of the Chairperson).
  • The Chairperson may decline requests for deputations or public speaking time that are repetitious or offensive.
  • The Chairperson has the power to limit the number of public speakers or deputations at a meeting, if the Chairperson feels that the number of requests received are too many to be heard at one meeting.

Members of the public may also attend Council meetings to express their views during the Public Forum time, regarding any item that is on the agenda for consideration at that meeting.  No prior notification is required, however members of the public wishing to speak should ensure they are at the meeting 5-10 minutes before it is due to start so that the committee secretary can take a note of their names and the item(s) they wish to speak about.

Time limit:  unless the meeting determines otherwise in any particular case, a limit of one minute shall be placed on the person introducing a deputation, and a limit of five minutes shall be placed on each member of a deputation, individual participants in the public forum.

Petitions.  To present a petition to Council the following points will help you do so:

  • Petitions are to be presented to meetings of Council by an elected member.
  • Petitions must contain a concise statement of what the petitioners seek, and must be written in a respectful manner.
  • Any elected member presenting a petition to Council shall confine themselves to a statement of the parties that the petition is from, the number of signatures attached to the petition, and a reading of the statement of what the petitioners want.
  • The organiser of a petition may address the Council on the subject of the petition for no more than five minutes.
  • Once a petition has been presented to the Council, the Mayor shall formally move that the petition be received and either that it be referred to an appropriate committee for consideration and report, or that it be dealt with by the Council.

Contact details

For inquiries or more information about Council and Committee meetings, contact:

Democratic Services Unit
Ph (04) 237 5089

or alternatively email Democratic Services. 

Links to more information

Porirua City Council links:

  • Contact Us
  • Mayor and Councillors
  • Meeting Schedule
  • Standing Orders