Local Government
Local government (or local councils) are an important part of Australia’s democratic system. Local government is responsible for many services within our communities, including:
the function of and delivery of a complete range of services and infrastructure required by their individual communities
parks and gardens, roads, streets, bridges, libraries and swimming pool maintenance
a range of family, community and general services such as garbage collection and animal registration
devising, approving and enforcing local laws relating to building, planning and the health and wellbeing of each individual. (list from Mitchell Shire website)
Councils are managed and run by a staff of professional employees, with the governance overseen by a council of members of the public who have been elected as Councillors. The next local council elections in Victoria will be held in October 2024
Becoming an elected member of your Local Government
Running for a position on your local council is a great way to get involved in your local community and make a difference to some of the key services and amenities where you live.
Candidates must be:
over 18 years old,
be an Australian Citizen,
be enrolled in the local government area where they want to run for election in,
not be a member of State or Federal Parliament,
not be an undischarged bankrupt and
not work in a Ministerial electoral office. See the Local Government Act for more information
Voting
All voting in council elections is by post. All enrolled voters will receive a ballot pack in the post for them to complete and send back. Voting is compulsory.
All Australian citizens who are resident in a particular council area must vote in the council elections. In some circumstances you may also be eligible to vote in a council election where you own a property in (but are not a resident of) a council area.
Councils in Wannon
Standing for Election
The following is a list of some resources which may be helpful if you are considering standing for election in your local council elections.
Community and Candidate Information Sessions useful information sessions in your community run by the Municipal Association of Victoria. A session is happening locally in Warrnambool on Thursday June 27.
Candidate Training – Compulsory training for candidates run by the Victorian Department of Local Government.
Municipal Association of Victoria has lots of relevant and helpful information for potential candidates.
The Victorian Electoral Commission also has useful information for local council candidates. Including a Candidate Handbook and a Candidate information kit.
Get Elected – A very useful how to book on running a successful campaign.
Women Leading Locally Useful training run by the Institute of Company Directors for women who are thinking of standing as a candidate in a local government election.
Leadership information – Our Community Conference 2024 – Exploring the Future of Leadership
How can Voices of Wannon help?
Talk to us. Let us know if you’d like to participate in a meet the candidate session in your local government area. We’ll see if we can get other candidates to join in so we can run a session to enable the community to learn more about their candidates and promote democracy in your local government area.
