Earlier this month the council called for interested parties to join 10 community consultation working parties.

But as of Wednesday only seven had come forward.

“It’s very disappointing given the positive moves this council is making to bring an infrastructure program to Goulburn,” Cr Kettle said.

“Everyone whinges that Council doesn’t consult but when it comes to this, no one puts their hand up.”

While councillors have been nominated for each one, they are still lacking full community representation on the sports stadium, aquatic centre, adventure playground, CBD car parking, flood plain risk management plan and the noxious weeds working parties.

Ten have been established in total, including for St Clair, the Rocky Hill Museum, Victoria Park and Goulburn Street trees. Interested people had to lodge a 200-word submission on reasons for joining the committees by today.

In June Cr Robin Saville suggested more random selection of working party members from the rate base to boost participation. He said this had worked in other states and facilitated a more participatory style of democracy.

At the time, Cr Saville said the application process was putting people off.

The idea met with little response from his colleagues. Asked whether Council would now try this idea, Cr Kettle said he would approach people directly.

He was also interested in fielding phone calls from people who wanted to join the working parties.

The closing date will be extended for this reason.

Meantime, only one person turned up to a Goulburn community outreach meeting on Tuesday night.

The forum, preceding the ordinary council meeting, had been postponed from last week. Goulburn’s self-declared ‘Queen of the South’ Jean Tebay held court in an informal gathering, with councillors listening intently.

She again spruiked her idea of a local museum honouring the horse’s role in Goulburn’s and Australia’s history. Admitting she was “horse mad,” Ms Tebay said the multifunction centre was all well and good but she wanted one with a 2500-seat theatre and a museum about the horse, reminding people that “man didn’t do it all on his own.”

“Is not the horse part and parcel of our folklore too?” she asked.

“I just want to see the town go forward, not backward as it has in the past 30 years. I could sit down and cry because there’s nothing original or unique to draw tourists in.”

Her peace said, Ms Tebay recited a Dame Mary Gilmore poem - ‘They Hanged a Man at Gallows Hill, Goulburn.’

The meeting’s attendance contrasted with village outreach forums which regularly attract good numbers.

“It’s very disappointing but you can look at it one of two ways,” Cr Kettle said.

“Either there’s a lot of apathy out there or people are happy with the way we’re running things.”