Your Council
A Council of eight (8) Elected members currently serve the Shire of Lake Grace.
Elected members are elected to their positions for a four-year term. Local government elections in Western Australia are held every two (2) years.
The 2023 ordinary local government election will be held on Saturday, 21 October 2023.
Under the Local Government Reforms introduced in May 2023, the number of elected members for the Shire of Lake Grace will drop to seven (7). This means that out of the four (4) elected members whose terms are due to expire in 2023 there will be three (3) positions to fill.
Conducting Elections
The Electoral Commissioner is responsible for conducting all local government postal elections in Western Australia and can also conduct voting in person elections on request under the Local Government Act 1995. By making the Electoral Commissioner responsible for these elections, the local governments concerned ensure that elections are conducted independently and with impartiality.
For local government elections, rolls close at 5.00 pm, 50 days prior to polling day. All electors should check their details are up to date before rolls close at 5.00pm on Friday 25 August 2023
If the number of candidates is equal to the number of vacancies, the candidate is elected unopposed. If there are more candidates than vacancies, the election will proceed.
While voting in a local government election is not compulsory in Western Australia, all electors are strongly encouraged to vote.
Residents Roll
The Residents Roll is maintained by the Western Australian Electoral Commission. People who live in the Shire of Lake Grace and are enrolled on the State electoral roll will automatically be placed on this roll.
How to check your enrolment
To check whether you are enrolled on the State electoral roll, use theOnline Enrolment Check tool provided by the Western Australian Electoral Commission’s websitehere
How to enrol
If you are not on the State electoral roll and meet the eligibility criteria, or if you have changed address recently, you must complete an enrolment form via the Australian Electoral Commission website
Alternatively a downloadable enrolment form is availablehere
Local Government Candidates
Information about becoming a candidate in a local government election.
- Nominations open: Thursday 31 August
- Nominations close: Thursday 7 September, 4 pm
Who can be a candidate?
Under theLocal Government Act 1995, to be eligible to nominate as a candidate for a local government election, the candidate must be:
- an elector of the district (residential or owner/occupier) and
- over 18 years of age.
- Not disqualified by anything below.
A person cannot nominate to be a candidate nor remain a councillor if they:
- are a member of State or Federal Parliament
- are a member of the council of another local government
- are an insolvent under administration
- are in prison serving a sentence for a crime
- have been convicted of a serious local government offence within the last five years (unless the court waived the disqualification)
- have been convicted on indictment of an offence for which the indictable penalty was, or included:
- imprisonment for life, or
- imprisonment for more than five years
- are subject to a court order disqualifying them from being a member of a council because they have misapplied local government funds or property
- are a nominee of a body corporate
- propose standing for two positions on council (unless standing for mayor or president as well as councillor)
- are currently disqualified by the State Administrative Tribunal from holding office as a member of a council.
Before nominating, all candidates must complete an online induction via theDepartment of Local Government, Sport & Cultural Industries.
How to nominate
To nominate as a candidate for a local government election, the candidate must submit an application consisting of:
- a completed nomination form. For elections being run by the WAEC, it is recommended that candidates use Nomination Builder to complete their nomination form and construct their candidate profile.
- a candidate profile which must:
- be in English
- be no more than 1000 characters (including spaces)
- not contain false, defamatory or misleading information
- fit on an A4 page
- include the candidate’s full name and contact information
- a photograph, no larger than passport-sized and taken in the last six months (optional).
- a deposit of $100
Candidates may also provide a written statement in English, of up to 2,000 characters (including spaces) with their nomination paper (optional).
All nomination applications must be signed by the candidate in front of a witness.
The nomination application must be submitted to the Returning Officer during the nomination period (31 August - 4 pm, 7 September 2023).
As the Returning Officer may ask candidates to amend their nomination, it is recommended that candidates ensure they have allowed sufficient time to finalise any required changes before the close of nominations.
More information
Additional information for candidates can be found on the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries website.
Returning Officers
Returning Officers are responsible for the conduct of an election, including the nominations process. They are usually the first point of contact for any enquires relating to the election.
Authorisation of election campaign material
Information about authorisation of electoral material and other matters.
Disclosures
Candidates have a duty of disclosure of electoral donations. Candidates and donors are required to disclose any electoral related gifts promised or received within the six months prior to polling day.
All queries should be directed to the local government’s Chief Executive Officer.
Information About Becoming a Candidate in a Local Government Election
WALGA, together with the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (DLGSC) and the WA Electoral Commission, held an Election Candidate Information Briefing webinar on Monday 14 August 2023.
The following presenters covered a range of topics, with the aim of preparing successful election candidates for life as an Elected Member:
Presenters and topics:
- Minister for Local Government, the Hon. David Michael – the Importance of Local Government in Western Australia.
- WA Local Government Association President Karen Chappel – why being a Councillor is important in our communities.
- Robert Kennedy, WA Electoral Commissioner, together with Phil Richards, Manager Election Events - on the process and key dates on running to become a Local Government Councillor in 2023.
- WALGA Representatives, the purpose of Local Government, the role of an Elected Member, Conflicts of Interest.
- Department of Local Government Sport & Cultural Industries – The role of DLGSC as the regulator of the Local Government Act and Regulations and key compliance provisions for Elected Members and candidates, including code of conduct requirements.
Webinar Recording