NRS-16868 | Minutes Health Committee [Leichhardt Council]

This series consists of minutes from meetings of the Health Committee of Leichhardt Council. The minutes are contained within bound volumes and arranged in chronological order, by date of meeting. Recorded in the minutes are the meeting date and time, and the names of persons attending the meeting. The minutes have been signed by the committee Chairman. In the minutes of the first meeting recorded in this series (6 March 1907) it is stated that ‘the minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed’. However, the date the committee was first established is subject to research.Matters dealt with in the minutes include appointment of the Chairman and Vice Chairman; submission to Council of reports by the Sanitary Inspector; the drafting and review of health-related Ordinances issued under the Local Government Act 1906; inspection of water tables and premises; disinfecting of premises; disposal of nightsoil and garbage; monitoring and control of food retail premises; sanitary condition of streets, gutters and drains; discharge of smoke, steam etc from premises and other 'nuisances' allegedly detrimental to health; operation and maintenance of the Garbage Destructor (including correspondence with other councils using the facility); and the driving of cattle through the municipality.Under sections 73 and 74 of the Local Government Act 1906 councils had powers relating to 'the prevention of the pollution of natural watercourses...the care, control, and maintenance of any stormwater channel, culvert, drain, or watercourse'; 'the conservation, collection, removal and disposal of night-soil and refuse’ etc.'; Section 109 of the Act gave further powers for 'the provision and maintenance of garbage destructors, and the collection and destruction of garbage'; 'the provision, maintenance, and management of disinfecting chambers'; 'the inspection and regulation of the wholesale and retail sale and of the storage and exhibition for sale of fish, and of oysters, and crustaceae, and of rabbits, poultry, and game'; 'the suppression of public nuisances caused by the emission, discharge, or escape of smoke, steam, oil vapour.. from premises, or by the discharge of waste waters or waste products from any factory or other building in the area'; 'the regulation and supervision of the sale, storage, exhibition for sale, conveyance, and mode of delivery.. of meat for human consumption; and of the disposal and removal of other meat, and of any blood, offal, or other refuse'; and 'the regulation and supervision of the manner, route, and times of driving animals in public places'. Under s.187 of the Act ordinances could be issued for carrying into effect the powers and duties conferred on councils. The Nuisances Prevention Act 1897 (Act No.24, 1897) gave Councils powers relating to such matters as the regulation and emptying of cesspits and earth closets; the inspection and removal of nuisances arising from cesspits, earth closets etc.; the connection of cesspits and earth closets to sewers and drains; and the provision of night-soil depots'.Section 109 of the Municipalities Act of 1867 (31 Vic. No.12), which was assented to on 23 December 1867, allowed municipal councils to appoint either standing committees or occasional (special) committees, composed of councillors, and to delegate to the committees 'any inquiry negotiation or arrangement or power to do any emergent act or to carry out any work which such Council may have ordered agreed to or directed'. However, Committees had to report to the council at the earliest opportunity.The minutes of each meeting of the Committee were confirmed at the following committee meeting and signed by the chairman to guarantee that they were a true and accurate record. However such recommendations were not binding upon Council. The Committee's recommendations were normally submitted to the next Council meeting. Council could reject the recommendation, send the recommendation back to the committee for further discussion, amend the recommendation, or accept the recommendation. The recommendations were not binding upon Council unless, and until, adopted by Council as shown in the minutes of the Council meeting.Please note the later Health Committee minutes have been bound into volumes containing minutes from multiple Leichhardt Council committees.