A decision was reached at a council meeting this month to enable the viewing of council meetings online through webcam technology to engage more ratepayers in council matters.

Aldermen voted in favour of two motions which will improve access for the public - to stream the meetings live to the internet and to record and store audio of the meetings.

Online streaming has not yet been utilised by local government anywhere else in the state and a recent upgrade of council's in- house technology will facilitate the move.

The recommendation from council officers was not to use live streaming for meetings due to a lack of demand.

Alderman Jeremy Ball changed the motion and spoke for the agenda item.

"We have previously discussed the possibility of moving meetings because we had received feedback that people wanted to attend but couldn't because they work," Alderman Ball said.

"This is an opportunity to compromise and make the meetings more available."

The council has previously considered holding its meeting in the evening to allow more people to attend and the issue raised the possibility of streaming meetings online in March 2008.

Launceston City Council will also record and store its meetings in hard copy which will be available to the public.

Parliamentary proceedings both in Tasmania and Canberra are currently streamed online but few councils around Australia have utilised the technology, mostly due to little or no demand.

Launceston City Council's online residents panel was asked if it would tune into a live stream of council meeting and of 512 people, 40 per cent said they would.