NRS-16871 | Lighting Committee reports [Leichhardt Council]

This series consists of reports from meetings of the Leichhardt Council Lighting Committee. The minutes are in volumes arranged chronologically by date of meeting. The initial reports are hand written while the later reports are typed. Most of the reports are stamped to indicate the report has been read and adopted by Leichhardt Council.Included in the reports are the particulars of the meeting time, the names of those persons attending and statements of recommendations or decisions made. The reports are generally signed either by the Chairman or Vice-Chairman of the Committee. Matters reported by the committee include recommendations relating to the erection, relocation, shutting down, relighting and removal of coal gas street lamps. Other matters referred to include attachment of street names to lamps; management of the lighting rate; election of the Committee Chairman and Vice Chairman; and details of correspondence about lighting with residents, the Australian Gas Light Company (supplier of gas to Sydney municipalities), Tramway authorities, other municipalities etc.The earliest report in this series is dated 6 March 1907 however it is clear from the Lighting Committee minutes (NRS16872) that the committee was already established by 11 April 1888. The date the Lighting Committee was ceased to operate is subject to research. Please note that separate reports from the committee ceased to be written by 4 December 1925. From 1926 onwards the minutes and reports of the committee were combined into one document. See the committee minutes series, NRS16872, for the combined minute and report documents.The Municipalities Act of 1858 (22 Vic. No.13) empowered municipalities in the colony to construct and maintain works relating to lighting with gas. Section 189 of the Municipalities Act of 1897 (Act No.23, 1897) stated that 'Any council may do all things necessary to light the streets and public places of a municipality with gas, and to supply gas to the inhabitants thereof. Furthermore, councils could: 'erect lamp-posts with all fittings thereto, in the streets'. Under Section 109 of the Local Government Act of 1906 council powers were widened to include that of 'the manufacture and supply of gas' and 'the manufacture and supply of electricity'.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 reports and recommendations document the decisions made by the Committee at its meetings. 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.