Media response - security at Council meetings
Published on 15 June 2023
Approach from The Age
The Age has recently done some reporting about an anti-government conspiracy group that is targeting councils across Victoria with a campaign of disruption and influence, prompting the cancellation of events and the closure of meetings to the public.
The Municipal Association of Victoria confirmed to The Age that 15 councils had reported the disruption of their activities by members of the My Place network. Yarra Ranges Council had to call the police and deploy security guards after more than 100 protesters hijacked a meeting, espousing 5G and 15-minute city conspiracies. The council announced it would close its public gallery indefinitely.
- Have you had council meetings disrupted by disruptive groups?
- Have you needed to employ extra security as a result?
- Have you moved any meetings online as a result of the disruption?
- What measures have you introduced to support councillors and council staff who have been targeted by these groups?
Response
Monash has had an increase in attendance at our Council meetings this year, which remain in-person and open to the public. Mostly, attendees have been respectful of processes and meetings have proceeded as usual, albeit with more time dedicated to questions to Council and responses. We have increased security presence at our meetings in response to the increased attendance and will continue to find the right balance so that meetings can remain open to the public and safe.
One recent meeting received significant disruption and required the attendance of Victoria Police, this was a result of increased attendance and also misinformation spread about a planned Council event for IDAHOBIT Day. At this stage, this has proven to be a one-off for Monash.
Issued: 14 June 2023
To: The Age
Quoting: Cr Tina Samardzija