Younger perspectives on the day-to-day issues council deals with might just help it arrive at better decisions. And younger involvement might just erode the oft-held perception that local government is run by a male-dominated gerontocracy. 

We understand a cost-benefit analysis by council staff recommended against providing child-minding services during council meetings. However, we wonder if intangibles such as engagement and better relations with the community were taken into account. 

Jemma Tribe is correct in calling for a child-minding service, not just for her two young children, but for the many families out there who would like to see their local government in action rather than just reading about it in the newspaper. The more residents and ratepayers we can encourage to participate in local government, the more democratic and transparent it would become.

Here at the Register we often hear the complaint that council decisions are undertaken without sufficient consultation with the community. Some of those complaints are fair, some are not. 

One of the best forms of consultation is to throw open the doors and make it easy for everyone to be able to attend, including young mums who might just bring some fresh ideas to the table.

And, who knows, people like Jemma Tribe who have children might just throw their hat into the ring and seek election if becoming involved does not come with the burden of the cost of babysitting.

In rejecting Jemma Tribe’s call, we believe council might have just thrown the baby out with the bathwater.