Council general manager Glenn Carroll had put a recommendation to the February meeting that the meeting time be changed to 10.30am which would allow technicians live streaming the meeting over the internet to attend the meetings and return to their Wagga base in daylight hours.

The recommendation was rejected by councillors with Cr Phil Diprose instead proposing the council meet at 5pm for a trial six month period while investigating the cost involved.

Cr Craig Bembrick was also against the daytime meetings suggesting they are a deterrent to prospective councillors.

"I believe that having meetings during the day reduces the ability of council in the future to attract a broad range in the community to run for this position on council," Cr Bembrick said.

"It cuts back nominations when it comes time for elections.

"I also believe our directors are very dedicated and over my time on council there work-load has increased and they do many hours outside normal office hours.

"Having morning meetings I fear will move their workload to a time after their support staff have left the office."

Cr Bembrick said the council should consider using an audio only system to stream its meetings.

"I believe we've got this one wrong and I shall be putting forward a notice of motion at the March meeting that we move to an audio only system to save money," Cr Bembrick said.

Mayor Mark Leibich pointed out the morning meetings may also restrict the ability of the public to attend.

"People work during the day and if people want to come and sit in the gallery during a council meeting it is work time where at 5pm in our normal time we do get people coming in.

"We've just got to weigh up the cost, the positives against the negatives.

"I suppose and whether we run a trial, but probably not for 12 months, just maybe we should run it for six months, 12 months is maybe a little bit too long.

"Possibly we run a trial and then we make the decision at the end of that trial, but maybe six months," Cr Leibich said.

Cr Paul Best agreed holding meetings during the day may reduce interest in standing for council.

"I do feel you are limiting the number of people who can put their hand up for this position, part of the beauty of this council is we have a wide cross section of people who all do different jobs and different roles.

"If you limit that down by having it during work hours it is going to stop people, it leaves us with people who are self employed, pensioners or unemployed.

"It makes it very difficult for people, I don't want to see that happen. I don't want to see the council restricted to those people, I want other people involved, people who work, all those sorts of things.

"I think we should really investigate, I don't know whether audio is the only answer, I think we should try to investigate and reduce the cost.

"If the cost is the impediment try to see how we can reduce that cost and still adhere to the government guidelines.

There are people on this council who agreed to it, put their hand up based on the fact it was at five o'clock," Cr Best said.

Cr Leibich suggested the council should return to the 5pm meetings on a six month trial before Cr Diprose moved that way.

"It's going to cost a little bit extra to get the guys to come and do the webcast but if it's going to make the whole system work better maybe we've just got to wear that cost.

"We've changed to a morning meeting because of the webcast, if we run it at 5pm and do a re-evaluation that may be a way to move forward," Cr Leibich said.

Cr Carly Brown seconded Cr Diprose's motion.