I challenge every Councillor to say they have read every word of it.

Since this council was elected, they have opted for monthly meetings, usually held in Bungendore, rather than the fortnightly meeting held alternately in Braidwood and Bungendore. Some of these meeting have run till midnight or after.

Residents have frequently had to wait hours for their matters to be heard. If they miss their slot to speak - bad luck. I can't imagine anyone would want a matter of great personal importance to be heard after 10pm, when most of the Councillors, staff and public, let alone the media are straining to concentrate.

A more cynical person might think Council was trying to bury controversial issues within the bulk. (wot... ya mean a sewerage levy hike of 29%..naah.)

Previous councils managed to get the business paper and minutes out to the community on the Friday prior to the next meeting, which was usually in 8 days. Our current Council takes three weeks.

This delay ensures that there are serious deficiencies in communication between the Council and the community.

Recent acquisition of recording equipment ($36,000) and subsequent motions to ensure that recordings are 'edited' before release to the public along with the Business paper render the expenditure a joke.

With such a large Council area, residents cannot always attend meetings, so easy and fast access to transcripts is essential.