Eligibility

If you are eligible to vote in your local council elections, you may also be eligible to stand for a position on council.

Becoming a councillor presents the opportunity to influence local directions and create long term, positive outcomes within your community and for fellow residents. The role of councillor is both rewarding and challenging. It requires commitment, responsibility and accountability.

With very few exceptions (such as being an undischarged bankrupt or being disqualified from holding office by a court order), you can nominate for a position on council regardless of qualifications, religion, race, gender, experience or profession. In fact, councils actively encourage nominations from people from diverse backgrounds to ensure that a wide range of views are being represented.

If you consider yourself to be invested in the future of your community, are willing to learn and participate, and prepared to contribute strategically to decision making processes that benefit your broader community, then you should explore what it takes to be a councillor.

A guide has been prepared to help you appreciate the role and responsibilities of a council member, understand the election process, and assist you in deciding whether to nominate. Please see the LGA website link in sources below to download an electronic version of the handbook.

Information for Candidates

Information for candidates can be obtained from the Electoral Commission of SA or at the District Council of Grant. Candidate information packs will be made available at the Council office at 324 Commercial Street West, Mount Gambier.

Candidate information briefing sessions will be provided by ECSA inline with the below schedule. To register for a session, please visit the ECSA website, link available in the sources below. Any questions regarding these sessions can be directed to the SA Electoral Commission on 1300 655 232.

Before you nominate

Before completing a nomination form you are strongly encouraged to review the handbook and the requirements for profiles and photographs which are available under the "Guides" section of the Electoral Commission of SA website, link in sources below.

The LGA will be running a Candidate information session  "Make a Difference - Nominate for Council" via webinar on 23 July 2022 from 10.00AM - 12.00PM. To enroll, please register at: https://training.lga.sa.gov.au/course-details/?course_id=12386&course_type=w

Election Signs

Recent changes to section 226 of the Local Government Act 1999 now prohibit the display of electoral advertising posters “on a public road (including any structure, fixture or vegetation on a public road)”. Consequently, election signs cannot be affixed to Stobie poles, traffic signs, trees, etc along a public road.

The maximum penalty is $5,000 and Council authorised officers are entitled to enforce this section of the Local Government Act.

“Electoral advertising poster” includes a poster displaying electoral advertising made of corflute or plastic.

“Public Road” is defined in the Local Government Act. This usually includes the area between a kerb and property boundaries, such as a footpath.

An owner or occupier of land may decide to affix a corflute election sign to their own property (e.g. their front fence or a stand-alone sign in their front yard).

A Guideline for Local Government election signs is available on the LGA website, which can be accessed via the link in sources below. District Council of Grant has also endorse a General Approval which sets out the requirements in our Council area.

Sources

For additional information, please see:

The ECSA website: https://www.ecsa.sa.gov.au/parties-and-candidates

The LGA website: https://www.lga.sa.gov.au/council-elections/nominate

Authorised by Darryl Whicker, CEO, 324 Commercial Street West, Mount Gambier, SA 5290.