General News
14 May, 2025
Congratulations and continue live streams
LETTERs TO THE EDITOR Keep live stream of council meetings Sir, I write as a resident and ratepayer concerned about the proposal to discontinue live streaming of Loddon Shire Council meetings. Live streaming allows residents to follow council...
LETTERs TO THE EDITOR
Keep live stream ofcouncil meetings
Sir, I write as a resident and ratepayer concerned about the proposal to discontinue live streaming of Loddon Shire Council meetings.
Live streaming allows residents to follow council decisions in real time, particularly those unable to attend in person due to distance, work, or health. It supports transparency and builds public trust.
Replacing live streams with next-day recordings is not a sufficient substitute. Delayed access removes the immediacy of information and introduces the potential for editing, which can undermine confidence in the process.
It’s also unclear whether live streaming places a greater burden on resources than recording and uploading.
Platforms such as Facebook are widely used and inexpensive, and I question whether the advice guiding this decision reflects current technical understanding.
At a time when public engagement with local government should be encouraged, removing live access sends the wrong message.
If this change is being seriously considered, the community deserves a full explanation of the reasoning behind it, including cost comparisons and operational impacts.
I urge council to maintain live streaming in the interests of openness, accountability, and public confidence.
Paul Rees
Boort
Well done, orienteers
Sir, Congratulations to the Loddon Shire Council, Orienteering Victoria and the locals of Tarnagulla, Inglewood and Wedderburn for the exemplary welcome given to the hundreds of visitors to the district.
My four house guests from Canberra came to compete in the national event and were impressed about how well organised it was – from rubbish bins to traffic management, to being given icy poles from friendly locals. They loved their stay.
Rachel Buckley, Dunolly