MEDIA RELEASE — LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS
www.tec.tas.gov.au
Local Government election arrangements
With the enactment on 20 June 2013 of the Local Government Amendment (Elections) Act 2013 and the making of the Local Government (Number of Councillors) Order 2013, the Local Government (Casual Vacancies) Order 2013, and the Local Government (Elections) Order 2013, the Tasmanian Electoral Commission can now provide the following advice concerning local government elections.
Ordinary elections for all 29 councils have been deferred until 2014, when all councillors and aldermen, and mayors and deputy mayors, will be elected for a 4 year term ending in 2018. The terms of office of councillors elected in both 2009 and 2011 will end in 2014.
The 2014 elections will be conducted by post and voting will remain voluntary. The timetable for the 2014 ordinary elections will be as follows:
• Publication of notice of election ......................................... Saturday 13 September 2014
• Electoral rolls close ................................................... 6 pm Thursday 18 September 2014
• Nominations close ................................................ 12 noon Monday 29 September 2014
• Announcement of nominations ............................. 12 noon Tuesday 30 September 2014
• Polling period .......................................... Tuesday 14 – 10 am Tuesday 28 October 2014
• Counting and announcement of results ......................... from Tuesday 28 October 2014
There has been a reduction in the number of councillors or aldermen to be elected to 6 councils in 2014. The reductions are as follows:
Council Current number Future number
Central Coast 12 9
Devonport City 12 9
Glamorgan – Spring Bay 9 8
Glenorchy City 12 10
Kingborough 12 10
Tasman 9 7
For the remaining 23 councils, vacancies occurring between now and 13 March 2014 will be filled by recount or by-election, as appropriate. For the 6 councils listed above, councillor or alderman vacancies will only be filled if the number of remaining councillors or aldermen has fallen below the future number.
Accordingly, the TEC will soon commence action to fill an existing vacancy on West Coast Council by recount, and will take no action to fill a vacancy on Tasman Council.
Vacancies occurring after 13 March 2014 will generally not be filled in any event.
A councillor or alderman who becomes a Member of the Tasmanian Parliament may now only hold both offices for 12 months. A Member of the Tasmanian Parliament who becomes a councillor or alderman may only hold both offices for 30 days.
The TEC expects that counting ballot papers will be a significantly more complex process under the new arrangements and is exploring options for fully computerised counting for larger councils.
ENDS — 12 noon Monday 24 June 2013
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