Local government is an elected system of government directly accountable to the local community. All the elected representatives, known as Councillors, work together to provide good governance for the benefit of their local community.
The 2024 NSW Local Government Elections were held on Saturday 14 September 2024.
For all information including key dates please visit the NSW Electoral Commission website or call them on 1300 135 736.
Wentworth Shire Council’s election was administered by the NSW Electoral Commission.
How does a local government election work?
Local government elections are held in NSW on the second Saturday in September every four years. At local government elections, voters in each local government area elect councillors to their local council.
Each local council must decide whether to engage the NSW Electoral Commissioner or a private election services provider to conduct their elections.
Mayoral elections
After the new councillors for an area are elected they will vote to elect one of the councillors as mayor for a two-year term. At the end of the two-year term the councillors elect a mayor for the following two years.
Councillor elections
Wentworth Shire Council has nine councillors elected for a four year term. Current councillors can be found here.
Do I need to vote?
It is compulsory to vote in an election or by-election if you are eligible to do so. You may be fined if you miss an election, so it’s important to make sure your enrolment details are up to date.
If you would like SMS and email reminders for state and local elections relevant to your enrolled address, please check your enrolment. After checking your enrolment, you will be offered the option to sign up for updates.
Enrolment
Voting is compulsory in Australia and enables you to choose who represents you in federal, state and local governments.
You only need to enrol once with the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) to vote for all three levels of government.
You can enrol to vote if you:
- are an Australian citizen, or an eligible British subject enrolled to vote in Australia on 25 January 1984
- are 16 years of age or older (but you cannot vote until you are 18)
- have lived at your current address for at least one month
For more information on how to enrol, go to the AEC website: https://www.aec.gov.au/enrol/
Check your enrolment
It’s important to check which electorate you’re enrolled in so that you know when and where you need to vote. You can check your enrolment details on the NSW Electoral Commission website.
Update your details
If you need to update your details, you can do so through the Australian Electoral Commission website.
Please note: If you have moved house recently, you will be able to enrol in your new electorate after you have lived at your new address for at least one month.
Postal voting
Voters may apply directly to be enrolled or to receive election reminders through the NSW Electoral Commission website.
To be counted, your completed ballot papers and postal vote certificate must be received by the NSW Electoral Commission no later than 6:00pm on the 13th day after election day.
To find out if you are eligible to register as a general postal voter and to download an application form, visit the Australian Electoral Commission website.
Residential and non-residential voting
When you enrol to vote, you will automatically be included on the residential role for that LGA, and you must vote in the local government elections for that area.
However, if you or your company:
- owns rateable land in a different LGA
- occupies or is a rate-paying lessee (a lease holder) of rateable land in a different LGA
You may be eligible to vote on the non-residential role for that area as well.
You can only vote once within a Council area regardless of which roll you are on, i.e. You can only be enrolled to vote in one ward within an LGA, even if you own multiple properties in more than one ward within that area, and the same rule applies within an undivided LGA.
You can enrol in any number of Council areas if you meet the eligibility criteria for the non-residential roll.
Applying for inclusion in the non-residential roll by 6pm Monday 5 August 2024
Non-residential rolls are prepared and certified by the General Manager (also known as the CEO) of each council, and the eligibility of the voters listed is then confirmed by the NSW Electoral Commission.
However, you are responsible for checking that you are eligible for the non-residential roll when you apply. Eligibility criteria can differ from council to council, so it is recommended that you seek independent advice if you are unsure if you are eligible or not.
To apply for inclusion on the non-residential roll, complete one of the following forms:
- for individual owners, occupiers and ratepaying lessees, use the application form for inclusion on the non-residential roll (Individual).
- for joint/several, corporate or trustee owners, occupiers or ratepaying lessees, use the application form for inclusion on the non-residential roll (Organisation).
Please note: Applications for inclusion on the non-residential roll close on 5 August 2024.
Becoming a Councillor
If you are passionate about Wentworth Shire and making a difference in the community, you may want to consider becoming a councillor.
If you’re thinking about becoming a Councillor, save the date to attend a candidate briefing session. This will help you find out more about the roles and responsibilities of local government and Councillors.
Information webinars
The NSW Electoral Commission hold a series of webinars for election participants in the lead-up to the elections.
The webinars will cover the following topics:
- candidate information
- election funding, disclosures and compliance
- nominations
- third-party campaigners
- electoral material, compliance and voting
- candidate workers and scrutineers
- counting and results
- post-election disclosure obligations
To register for webinars and to view recordings of past webinars, please go to the NSW Electoral Commission’s website.
Candidate helpdesk
The NSW Electoral Commission provides a helpdesk for candidates to answer questions in relation to their candidature or election processes.
The Candidate helpdesk is operational Monday to Friday from 9:00am to 5:00 pm and can be contacted by phone on 1300 022 011 or via email at candidates@elections.nsw.gov.au
Who can be a candidate?
To be an eligible candidate, you must be 18 Years of age, see Eligibility to nominate as a candidate for more details.
You must also be enrolled by 6:00pm on the day rolls close in the council area for which you are nominating — for the September 2024 Council elections, the roll will close on 5 August 2024.
You may be enrolled on either the:
- residential roll
- non-residential roll
- roll of occupiers and rate-paying lessees for a council area
A candidate in a local government election must not be disqualified from holding civic office as a councillor or mayor. People disqualified from holding civic office include people who are:
- currently serving a prison sentence
- convicted of certain election-related or criminal offences
- prohibited from managing companies
- suspended on three or more occasions for misconduct as a councillor
- current state members of parliament (if elected, they may only hold office as a councillor if they resign from the Parliament before the first council meeting)
- serving judges, the returning officer for elections of the council and council employees
The reasons for disqualification are contained in the Local Government Act 1993, which is available on the NSW Legislation website (see sections 274, 275 and 276).
A person elected to civic office can be dismissed by the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) if it finds that an elected person was disqualified from holding civic office.
It is an offence to act in a civic office while disqualified.
Please note: This information is not legal advice. It is important to note that the Electoral Commission cannot confirm whether you, or other prospective candidates, are eligible to nominate for an election or are potentially disqualified when you nominate.
Every prospective candidate should take steps to be informed of the legislative requirements. You should obtain independent legal advice if you are concerned about your eligibility to nominate for election.
Do I need any qualifications?
There are no formal qualifications needed to be a Councillor. You just need to be passionate about your community and interested in local issues and eager to learn about how local government works.
It’s in everyone’s interest that there’s a diversity of people who are representative of our communities, and there’s a lot of support and training that’s provided to Councillors to help you understand things like finance, policies and legislation.
How much time do I need to commit?
Being elected as a Councillor is an opportunity to serve your community, and this opportunity involves a commitment of your time.
Being a Councillor at Wentworth Shire Council is a four-year commitment.
You will also need to do a lot of reading of ‘business papers’ (meeting agendas) in preparation for the meetings. You can see examples of past meeting agendas on the agendas and minutes page.
The exact number of meetings you will be required to attend depends on the adopted meeting schedule (see next question) but each council must meet at least 10 times a year.
If you miss three consecutive council meetings without getting a prior leave of absence from the Council, your office (your position) will automatically become vacant.
There are a range of other factors that determine how many hours Councillors spend each week on council activities, including the size of the council and the issues that arise.
How many meetings do I need to attend?
Wentworth Shire Council’s current meeting schedule is as follows:
- One (1) Ordinary Meeting (regular, scheduled meetings) per month – currently scheduled to take place on the third Wednesday of the month at 7:00pm
- Extra Ordinary Meetings (extra meetings for anything not covered by an Ordinary Meeting) – these are scheduled as needed
- Monthly briefings, currently scheduled prior to the Ordinary Council Meeting at 5:00pm
What fees are provided to Councillors?
As at 1 July 2024 the Councillor Fee is set at $13,520.00 with the Mayoral Fee being $29,500.00 per annum.
What expenses and facilities can be accessed by Councillors?
Some expenses are covered for Councillors included for training, conferences, travel to and from meetings, child care and other care expenses.
For more information, please read the Council Policy for Councillors.
How do I nominate as a candidate?
To stand in the September 2024 local government elections, please go to the NSW Electoral Commission’s website to register to start campaigning.