When I stepped back from Council, I did so with clarity and optimism — not just about where our cities were headed, but about the role planning could play in shaping our future. For over two decades, I’ve worked at the intersection of planning, politics, and community, as a mayor, consultant, and researcher. I’ve seen the power of good planning to create liveable, inclusive, future-ready places. I’ve also seen how easily it can be derailed by short-term thinking — and how costly that can be for clients, communities, and councils alike. Greiss Planning exists to bring clarity, rigour, and steady leadership to the approvals process, so good projects can move forward with confidence.
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At a Glance
• Peaceful assembly is a cornerstone of democratic freedom
• Public space must remain accessible for lawful self expression
• Council processes should not impose undue cost on protest
• Governance requires balance between order, safety, and liberty
Democracy in a Time of Global Strain
In recent months, global events have stirred deep emotions within many communities, including our own. Residents of diverse backgrounds have felt the weight of events unfolding in their homelands. Others have sought to raise awareness about causes central to their identity and convictions.
In such times, I am reminded that democracy is not tested when it is convenient. It is tested when it must hold space for grief, dissent, solidarity, and debate.
Everyone has the right to utilise the city’s public space to articulate concerns in a peaceful manner. The right to be heard is not an abstract principle. It is a lived expression of our democratic inheritance.
The Right to the City
The scholar David Harvey once observed that we live in an era where human rights occupy centre stage, yet where other rights, particularly those tied to property and profit, often prevail in practice. His words invite reflection.
“We live, after all, in a world in which the rights of private property and the profit rate trump all other notions of rights.”
In reflecting on this, I am drawn to the idea of the right to the city. This is not a slogan. It is a principle. It recognises that cities are not merely economic engines or planning frameworks. They are shared civic spaces shaped by the people who inhabit them.
The right to the city includes the ability to gather, to express solidarity, to raise a voice in concern, and to do so peacefully and lawfully. Public space carries symbolic and practical meaning. It is where democracy becomes visible.
Council’s Responsibility
As a Council, our responsibility is to ensure that public space remains open to peaceful expression, while also maintaining safety, order, and respect for others. These obligations are not mutually exclusive. They require balance and judgement.
It came to my attention that under our current fees and charges, there was no clear provision enabling residents to assemble peacefully without incurring costs associated with standard event processes. That arrangement may have emerged from administrative logic, but in principle it created a barrier.
I have always believed that governance must be attentive to unintended consequences. When a fee structure inadvertently places a cost on peaceful protest, it risks constraining democratic participation in ways that were never intended.
It is common practice in other councils to distinguish between commercial or entertainment events and peaceful protest. That distinction matters. An event designed for commercial benefit or large scale entertainment carries different implications from a lawful assembly intended to express a view.
A Practical Adjustment Grounded in Principle
With the support of the Chamber, I have asked the General Manager to treat requests for peaceful gatherings not as standard events, but as protests, separate from our ordinary fees and charges. I have also requested the development of a policy framework that enables residents of all backgrounds and beliefs to exercise their right to peaceful assembly without cost, provided they comply with applicable laws and regulations.
This is not about endorsing particular causes. Council does not adjudicate the merits of every viewpoint expressed in public space. Our role is procedural and principled. We must ensure that the framework within which expression occurs is fair, lawful, and accessible.
In doing so, we reaffirm that Campbelltown is a city where people of all race, creed, and ideology can gather peacefully and be heard.
Balancing Freedom and Order
The right to peaceful assembly is recognised in international human rights instruments, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Yet rights always exist within a broader civic context. Peaceful assembly must remain peaceful. It must respect the safety and rights of others. It must operate within the law.
The task of local government is to steward that balance. We are custodians of public space. We must protect it from misuse while ensuring it does not become restricted by excessive regulation or unintended financial barriers.
In times of heightened emotion, calm administration is essential. Clear rules, applied consistently and fairly, build trust across communities. When people feel heard, the social fabric is strengthened.
Reflection
In reflecting on this matter, I am reminded that cities are more than buildings and roads. They are arenas of shared meaning. Public space is where citizenship is practiced.
Our responsibility as leaders is to safeguard both freedom and order. By ensuring that peaceful assembly can occur without undue cost, we affirm a simple but enduring truth. Democracy belongs in the public square.
Read the original Mayoral Minute here: 22. The Right to Peaceful Assembly