Most councils have, at some stage, been accused of unnecessary secrecy and a determination to look the community out of real discussion of controversial issues.

That stance is supported by a convoluted and confusing Local Government Act that leaves far too much open for interpretation in this area – and leaves it up to the councils themselves to carry out that interpretation.

That situation is made even worse if, for whatever reason, the elected councillors are reluctant to question the need for individual items to be discussed in confidential.

And that’s exactly what we have seen at Bathurst Regional Council over the years where not a single councillor has questioned the need to put a single item in confidential over the current four-year term.

Literally hundreds of items have been discussed in confidential in that time yet not once has a councillor raised an objection, even to suggest that an item should be only part-discussed behind closed doors, as is allowed under the Act.

It beggars belief and does little to foster council’s reputation for open and honest governance.

Bathurst woman Bhakti Manning put these concerns in the public domain when she spoke at council on Wednesday night but, as usual, she was addressing just a handful of residents.

Still, she had every right to ask why council chose to buy the house next to hers and why the community had not been made aware of the deal until it was signed, sealed and delivered.

The general public is given the chance at each council meeting to object to any items being discussed in confidential but as Ms Manning pointed out [and this newspaper has also pointed out], the information published in council’s meeting papers make that an impossibility.

Discussion about the McKell Street purchase was listed in council’s March papers only as “Purchase of Land – West Bathurst”, meaning Ms Manning had no way of knowing her neighbours’ house would be the one up for discussion.

This council does many things well and does many things right.

But its handling of confidential items and its rush to lock the community out of discussions is not one of them.