Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

AUSTRALIA COUNCIL ACT 1975 - SECT 17

             (1)  The Council shall hold such meetings as are necessary for the performance of its functions.

             (2)  The meetings shall be convened by the Chairperson.

             (3)  Where the Minister requests the Chairperson to do so, the Chairperson shall forthwith convene a meeting.

             (4)  At a meeting a quorum is constituted by a majority of the members of the Council for the time being holding office.

             (5)  The Chairperson shall preside at all meetings at which he or she is present.

             (6)  If the Chairperson is not present at a meeting, the members present shall elect one of their number to preside at the meeting.

             (7)  Questions arising at a meeting shall be determined by a majority of the votes of the members present and voting.

             (8)  The person presiding at a meeting has a deliberative vote and, in the event of an equality of votes, also has a casting vote.

             (9)  In relation to a time when a person is acting as Chairperson, references in this section to the Chairperson shall be read as references to that person.

           (10)  If the Council so determines, a member of the Council may participate in, and form part of a quorum at, a meeting of the Council by means of any of the following methods of communication:

                     (a)  telephone;

                     (b)  closed circuit television;

                     (c)  another method of communication determined by the Council.

           (11)  A determination of the Council under subsection (10) may be made in respect of a particular meeting, or in respect of all meetings, of the Council.

           (12)  A member of the Council who participates in a meeting as provided by subsection (10) is taken for the purposes of this Part to be present at the meeting.

           (13)  If the Council so determines, a resolution must be taken to have been passed at a meeting of the Council if, without meeting, a majority of the number of members who would, if present at a meeting of the Council and entitled to vote on the resolution at that meeting, have constituted a quorum of the Council indicate agreement with the resolution in accordance with the method determined by the Council.