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.
Stay in the loop!
This article reports on Campbelltown Council introducing live streaming of councillor briefings, a shift intended to increase transparency around how councillors receive information and form views before formal decisions are made. It notes the proposal received ministerial support, quoting the NSW Minister for Local Government, Ron Hoenig, who commended the move and argued that decisions should not be shaped “behind closed doors.” The article frames live-streamed briefings as a governance reform designed to strengthen public confidence, reduce the risk of poor scrutiny, and address integrity concerns that can arise when briefings occur privately.
The piece also captures the local debate: while the council voted to proceed, there were objections during public exhibition, including concerns about unintended consequences, cost, and claims the change was unnecessary given council already livestreams meetings. It provides an implementation detail useful for your site listing — briefings would be livestreamed from the council chamber starting in August, scheduled about a week before ordinary council meetings, with the first livestreamed briefing proposed for Tuesday, 6 August. Overall, the article positions Mayor George Greiss as supportive of expanding transparency and public access to the decision-making process, while acknowledging the political and community sensitivities that come with governance reform.
Read more → Campbelltown to livestream councillor briefings