Local Government Participation and Elections Review

Share Local Government Participation and Elections Review on Facebook Share Local Government Participation and Elections Review on Twitter Share Local Government Participation and Elections Review on Linkedin Email Local Government Participation and Elections Review link

Consultation has concluded

Have your say on ideas and suggestions for changing the way councils operate in South Australia

What's being decided?

The Office of Local Government is conducting a state-wide consultation to give the community an opportunity to provide feedback on ideas and suggestions on how communities can better engage with their councils through a council term and, particularly, at election time.

This review and consultation will focus on these key topics:

  • ways to better engage and participate with councils;
  • ways to encourage a greater number of more diverse candidates for election to councils;
  • ways to increase voter turnout; and
  • ways to ensure that council elections are run efficiently, with the highest level of integrity.

The aim of this consultation is to inform reform proposals and the development of the bill to amend local government legislation.

Background

Local councils are often described as the sphere of government that is ‘closest to the people’. The services they provide are often those that touch our day-to-day lives most closely. Yet this involvement with local services isn’t always reflected in how people engage with councils.

While local members are elected to represent their local communities, historically only around one-third of voters choose to vote in their local council elections.

Councils can also struggle to have a good number of diverse candidates willing to stand for election, to ensure that a local elected body has the best chance of representing and making the best decisions for its local community.

Over the past 20 years, the local government sector has been making increasingly large investments in promoting elections, both to encourage nominations, and to increase voter turnout. Despite these investments, engagement with councils at election times has remained at consistently low rates.

The 2023 Local Government Participation and Elections Review will focus on participation and elections, including:

  • improving people’s engagement with councils;
  • increasing the number and diversity of council members; and
  • increasing voter turnout.

Find out more by:

Have your say by:

  • Completing the online survey or sharing a comment in the Guestbook at YourSay
  • Emailing your comments to DIT.LocalGovernmentReform@sa.gov.au
  • Posting written feedback to Office of Local Government, GPO Box 1533, Adelaide, SA 5001
  • Phoning the Office of Local Government on (08) 7133 3277

What are the next steps?

Feedback gathered via this consultation will play a key role in informing reform proposals and the development of the bill to amend local government legislation, including the:

Consultation outcomes will be published on this website and on the Department for Infrastructure and Transport’s website in May 2024.



Have your say on ideas and suggestions for changing the way councils operate in South Australia

What's being decided?

The Office of Local Government is conducting a state-wide consultation to give the community an opportunity to provide feedback on ideas and suggestions on how communities can better engage with their councils through a council term and, particularly, at election time.

This review and consultation will focus on these key topics:

  • ways to better engage and participate with councils;
  • ways to encourage a greater number of more diverse candidates for election to councils;
  • ways to increase voter turnout; and
  • ways to ensure that council elections are run efficiently, with the highest level of integrity.

The aim of this consultation is to inform reform proposals and the development of the bill to amend local government legislation.

Background

Local councils are often described as the sphere of government that is ‘closest to the people’. The services they provide are often those that touch our day-to-day lives most closely. Yet this involvement with local services isn’t always reflected in how people engage with councils.

While local members are elected to represent their local communities, historically only around one-third of voters choose to vote in their local council elections.

Councils can also struggle to have a good number of diverse candidates willing to stand for election, to ensure that a local elected body has the best chance of representing and making the best decisions for its local community.

Over the past 20 years, the local government sector has been making increasingly large investments in promoting elections, both to encourage nominations, and to increase voter turnout. Despite these investments, engagement with councils at election times has remained at consistently low rates.

The 2023 Local Government Participation and Elections Review will focus on participation and elections, including:

  • improving people’s engagement with councils;
  • increasing the number and diversity of council members; and
  • increasing voter turnout.

Find out more by:

Have your say by:

  • Completing the online survey or sharing a comment in the Guestbook at YourSay
  • Emailing your comments to DIT.LocalGovernmentReform@sa.gov.au
  • Posting written feedback to Office of Local Government, GPO Box 1533, Adelaide, SA 5001
  • Phoning the Office of Local Government on (08) 7133 3277

What are the next steps?

Feedback gathered via this consultation will play a key role in informing reform proposals and the development of the bill to amend local government legislation, including the:

Consultation outcomes will be published on this website and on the Department for Infrastructure and Transport’s website in May 2024.