2023 Federal Referendum (Voice)
The Voice Referendum
The Federal Government has today confirmed the 2023 Federal Referendum (Voice) will take place on Saturday 14 October.
As such, this will not affect Western Australia’s local government elections which will go ahead as planned for Saturday 21 October.
All timelines for WA’s local government elections remain unchanged. Candidate nominations will open tomorrow Thursday 31 August and close at 4pm, Thursday 7 September.
More information about the local government elections can be found on the WAEC website: 2023 Local Government Elections | Western Australian Electoral Commission
For more information about the 2023 Federal Referendum (Voice), visit https://aec.gov.au/
MINISTERS MESSAGE
Please see the link to the Ministers Notice to Residents
ABOLISH WARDS AND REDUCE COUNCILLOR NUMBERS
The Local Government Advisory Board has recently written to the Shire of Victoria Plains advising that the Governor has made an order on the recommendation of the Minister for Local Government to abolish wards at the Shire of Victoria Plains and to reduce the number of offices of councillor from seven to five. This follows the submission of the Shire’s ward and representation review to the Local Government Advisory Board in October 2022.
This change will be implemented at the 2023 local government elections.
Notice to this effect was published in the Government Gazette on 30 June 2023.
The publication of the order in the Gazette now finalises the review process. The Western Australian Electoral Commission will now commence their statutory and administrative requirements ahead of the next local government elections.
OWNER/OCCUPIER ROLL
If you own a property in the Shire but do not live here, or operate a business in the Shire, you may be eligible for enrolling on the owner/occupier roll. To be eligible for this roll, a person must be:
- Registered on the state electoral roll where they live, and
- Either own or have a right of continuous occupation under a lease agreement or other legal instrument of a property within the Shire of Victoria Plains
- The right of continuous occupation must extend for a period of at least three months.
Enrolment on the owner/occupier roll allows a person who is enrolled to vote at one address, and owns or occupies property at a different address, to vote in both areas.
Where two or more individuals jointly own or occupy a property, up to two of them may enroll, with the written agreement of a majority of the owners where there are three or more co-owners or occupiers.
Where a company or body corporate owns or occupies rateable land, up to two people can be enrolled to vote on its behalf. If the same company or body corporate owns more than one property in a ward, the body is still only entitled to have two nominated persons on the roll.
Occupiers and occupier nominees remain on the roll for a period of two elections after their enrolment is accepted and then are taken off the roll six months after the second election. They must then re-enrol if they wish to continue as electors. Owners of a rateable property remain on the roll until the property passes ownership.
The Shire of Victoria Plains encourages all business representatives and property owners to have their say by voting.
To check your enrolment status on the residents roll visit the Western Australian Electoral Commission website Home | Western Australian Electoral Commission (elections.wa.gov.au)
Please note that the roll closes 5pm, Friday, 25 August 2023.
FORMS
For individuals applying in their own names either as owners or occupiers, please download, complete, and return the:
Enrolment eligibility claim form - please submit the form to candice.watson@victoriaplains.wa.gov.au or in person to the Shire office.
For individuals being nominated by a corporate body as owner nominees or occupier nominees, please download, complete, and return the:
Application to register a corporate nominee form - please submit the form to candice.watson@victoriaplains.wa.gov.au or in person to the Shire office.
CANDIDATE WEBINAR - 14 AUGUST
WALGA in conjunction with the WA Electoral Commission and the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Activities are currently encouraging members of the community to consider running for Council, as well as reminding the broader community to enrol to vote in the October elections.
A Candidate Information Webinar was held on Monday 14 August 2023. The candidate webinar was hosted at WALGA by State President Cr Karen Chappel and featuring presentations from the Electoral Commission, the Department and WALGA staff. As well as describing the key processes and roles in becoming a Councillor, the webinar included a Question-and-Answer session addressing direct queries from participants.
A recording of the webinar, including slides and graphics can be found here.
(Please be advised that the WALGA President did express an Acknowledgement of Country at the start of the webinar, but due to early technical difficulties it was not recorded.
2023 Candidate Information Briefing Webinar
WALGA Registration Information