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Petition - Council Policy

Sponsor:

Deputy Chief Executive

Date Approved: 9 April 2008
Date Reviewed:

Community Outcome:

Working Together
7.1 - Engages all local commuities in planning and developing the city's future.

Objective

To enable residents of Hamilton to initiate a petition on matters of community interest and to standardise the format for administrative consistency and fairness.

 Policy

Council will consider a petition on any matter relating to either the services that are provided or that may be provided by Council, or any policy or intended policy of the Council at such times as citizens of Hamilton so request, subject to such requests meeting the Petition Policy criteria. 

The Democratic Support Services Manager will receive all petitions and acknowledge receipt accordingly.  A valid petition will then be considered by the appropriate Standing Committee of Council, together with staff advice, within 60 days of receipt.

 Criteria

  1. Contain not less than 100 signatures of residents of Hamilton City, inclusive of the principal petitioner, all being on the Electoral Roll for Hamilton City and eligible to vote.  The petition should include name, address and signature on A4 size paper.
  2. Where a petition of 100 signatures is not practical, approval to receive is at the discretion of the Committee Chairperson and the Subcommittee Chairperson.
  3. Every petition presented to Council must comprise fewer than 50 words and not be disrespectful, or use offensive language or include statements made with malice.
  4. A petition presented to Council may be in English or Maori.
  5. A petitioner has the opportunity to present to the appropriate Standing Committee.  A limit of 5 minutes is placed on that person.  If the chairperson has reason to believe that the petitioner is disrespectful or offensive, or has made statements with malice, the chairperson shall terminate presentation of the petition.
  6. Any member of the local authority, who presents a petition on behalf of the petitioners, is to confine himself/herself to reading the petition and the statement of the parties from which it comes, and the number of signatories attached to it.
  7. All costs associated with the petition shall be at the proposer’s expense.