Details of tenders are to be bumped up the agenda in Ballarat City council meetings in a bid to improve transparency.
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The first ordinary meeting of the newly elected council takes place on Wednesday, with the increased emphasis on tenders among a series of changes.
The results of seven tenders are included as separate officer reports.
Several road reconstruction contracts, the award for roof replacement work at Ballarat North football club, and the recommended contractor for stage 2 works at the Civic Hall are among the items to be considered.
The number of tender applicants is included in the agenda as well as the plans for each project.
The recommendations will be discussed early in proceedings at the council meeting after public question time and a discussion of an officer report summarising the options for January 26 events next year.
Mayor Daniel Moloney said there was a heightened focus on transparency in the new local government act.
"Tenders are something we were conscious the public hadn't had complete oversight of in the past," he said.
While commercially sensitive details would not be published, he said the idea was to include as much information as possible.
"The public should be completely aware of the tender price and who's doing it," Cr Moloney said.
Previously, tenders were usually considered in camera - behind closed doors - with the results published in subsequent meeting minutes.
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Approaches have varied from council to council - the City of Greater Bendigo has published the successful company and amount awarded in its tenders online for some time.
Other changes to the format will see councillor reports - sometimes nicknamed 'show and tell' - discussed after officer reports. Cr Moloney said it was to allow public submissions on items to take place before councillors raise any of their own priorities.
The changes were made at the suggestion of the City of Ballarat's interim chief executive officer Janet Dore.
Other items on this week's agenda include a draft community engagement policy, which is likely to be put out for public feedback.
There is also an item on an offer on council land at 12A Albert Street in Sebastopol, and the proposed sale of two parcels of land in Boak Avenue, Mount Helen.
- The meeting will take place online on Wednesday, December 2.
- Read the full agenda here
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