Nominate
As the closest level of government to the community, councils make decisions every day that impact the lives of all people.
Becoming a councillor allows you to influence local directions and make a long term, positive difference in your community.
Strong and effective councils reflect the diverse communities they serve and include people from various backgrounds, abilities, genders and ages.
We have prepared a handbook to help you understand the roles and responsibilities of a councillor. The handbook will help you to decide whether to nominate and run for council. Please click on the link below to download an electronic version of the guide.
Important dates to note for the 2022 election are:
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notice of elections | 3rd September 2022 |
| Candidate nominations open | 5th September 2022 |
| Candidate nominations close | 19th September 2022 |
| Nomination period | 5th - 19th September 2022 - NOW CLOSED |
| Polling period (at least) | 3rd - 25th October 2022 |
| Closing day | 25th October 2022 |
Checklist
If you're considering becoming a councillor, please look through the following resources:
- The LGAT Candidate Handbook
- Online training modules (register here) - more info below
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Tasmanian Electoral Commission website
- TEC Candidate Booklet.
More info
You first need to be enrolled with the TEC to vote. Then you can nominate following their process outlined below.
Can I stand for council?
You need to make sure you are eligible to stand for council.
The Local Government Act 1993 lays out the criteria candidates need to meet:
- Be enrolled to vote in the council area.
- Live in Tasmania.
- Not be a councillor in another council.
- Not be an employee of the council you are standing for.
- Not be bankrupt, in prison, or be under Mental Health or Guardianship Orders.
- No history of being barred from nominating or being removed from office.
For more information, head to the local government section on the TEC website and read their Local Government Candidate Handbook.
To nominate, make sure you:
- Obtain a nomination form from the TEC website.
- Get it signed by at least 2 people with the right to vote in your council area.
- Sign it yourself.
- Lodge, post, email or fax the form to the TEC’s Returning Officer or the Electoral Officer at the relevant council. Make sure it arrives on or before 19th September 2022.
After nominations close, the TEC will publish the details of all confirmed nominees.
Before you begin campaigning it’s important to ensure you understand:
- How the election is run.
- Who your opposition is.
- How many votes you are likely to need to be elected.
- Your area, including maps and population data.
- Any local issues and concerns.
- Your council’s current programs, strategies, plans and policies.
- Laws and regulations that relate to council election campaigning.
Your campaign needs to encourage people to vote for you. Voting in council elections is compulsory and people will typically vote for a candidate they think will make a positive difference in their community.
Ballot papers are distributed at least 2 weeks prior to the closing day for polling. A significant proportion of people complete and return their ballot paper straight away, so you should aim to have your campaign underway well before distribution commences.
While elections are competitive, candidates are encouraged to focus on their own positive messages, rather than making negative comments about opponents.
Some key things to consider in planning your campaign include:
- What issues will you campaign on.
- What you stand for and the message(s) you wish to convey.
- What resources (time and money) you are willing to commit to campaigning, noting that there are strict limits on and reporting requirements for all advertising costs.
- Whether you wish to seek campaign donations or undertake fundraising activities.
- If there are other people you can enlist to help with your campaign.
- Whether there are high-profile individuals who might endorse your candidacy.
- If you want to have a scrutineer at the scrutiny and count.
Candidates also need to note that there are expenditure limits in place for the local government elections. The spending is determined under the Local Government (General) Regulations 2015 which sets the total expenditure for campaigning. This total is different depending on which council area you are running in.
The following resources may be helpful:
Councillors serve the community by listening to residents and local businesses and representing their views on council.
You will work with your fellow councillors to make strategic decisions about how the council will address the community's needs.
Councillors do not get involved in the day to day running of the council, which is the responsibility of the General Manager or Chief Executive Officer.
One of the most important roles you will have as a councillor is to participate in making policy decisions - establishing the rules, regulations and guidelines that govern your community - within the parameters of laws set by State Parliament.
For more detail about being a councillor, please watch the video below, read the LGAT Candidate Handbook and watch the OLG online training modules (see above).
This list of additional resources, thanks to Suzy Cooper, may help you on your journey to become elected:
Get Elected – Ruth McGowan – https://ruthmcgowan.com/get-elected-book/ – A step by step campaign guide to winning public office: local, state, and federal.
"Thank Goodness You’re Here!" now get elected and make a difference – Suzy Cooper – https://www.suzycooper.com.au/books – a practical, encouraging and gently irreverent how-to guide for getting elected to a decision-making role at a school, club, committee, board, local council, state or federal government.
Raise Our Voice – https://raiseourvoiceaustralia.com – aims to amplify diverse young female and non-binary voices to actively lead conversations in politics, domestic policy and foreign policy.
Australian Youth Affairs Coalition: https://www.ayac.org.au/ – the national voice and a powerful advocate for all young people. They work together so that young people are respected and have the power to lead change for a better world.
Australian Local Government Women’s Association: https://www.algwa.net.au/ – ALGWA has branches in every state and territory in Australia. It seeks to strengthen networking, mentoring and innovative opportunities that encourage and support women in local government.
Women for Election: https://wfe.org.au/ - WFE aim to inspire, equip and sustain women to successfully stand for, and thrive in, public office in Australia. They run a course called EQUIP and offer masterclasses and other great resources.
The Pathways to Politics Program for Women: https://pathwaystopolitics.org.au/ – Pathways to Politics for Women is a national, proudly non-partisan initiative that aims to change the face of politics by equipping women with the skills, knowledge, confidence and networks they need to run for elected office and thrive as political leaders.
National Council of Women of Australia (NCWA): https://ncwa.org.au/ – is a national non-government umbrella organisation with broadly humanitarian and educational objectives, which seeks to raise the awareness of women and girls to their rights and responsibilities as citizens and to encourage the participation of women in all aspects of community life.
Centre of Multicultural Political Engagement and Leadership (COMPELL): https://compell.com.au/) – The Centre of Multicultural Political Engagement, Literacy and Leadership (COMPELL) is dedicated to advancing multicultural Australian representation in Australian politics.
UN Women: https://unwomen.org.au/our-work/focus-area/leadership/ – Women are still under-represented in government, business, civil society, and key positions of influence. UN Women works to change this by:
- Providing training for women political candidates to help build their capacities.
- Running voter and civic education and sensitisation campaigns on gender equality.
- Calling on political parties, governments and others to do their part in empowering women.
- Encouraging young men and women to engage in advocacy around making gender equality central to public policy-making.
- Promoting women’s rights, including their right to vote and to violence-free campaigning.
Politics in Colour - https://politicsincolour.com - helping diverse Australians considering a career in politics to overcome barriers and challenges and get elected.
The Office of Local Government and the Local Government Association of Tasmania are providing online learning modules.
These include:
- Learning Package 1 - (2 modules) - Is for people interested in running for council in Tasmania, who want to learn what it means to be a councillor and why they should nominate for the upcoming elections. The proposed release date for Learning Package 1 is the beginning of August 2022.
- Learning Package 2 - (2 modules) - Provides basic information councillors need to get them through the first few months after they are elected. The proposed release date for Learning Package 2 is the beginning of September 2022.
- Learning Package 3 - (multiple modules) - Provides more detailed information for councillors to ensure they can fulfill their role and understand their responsibilities. Access to Learning Package 3 will only be provided to elected councillors and will released in 2023.
There is no cost for Learning Packages 1 and 2.
To register and enrol in one or all of the above Learning Packages follow this link Registration for Tasmanian local government online learning modules.
Once registered you will be notified via email when the modules are available for you to start.
If you need assistance to complete the registration form or have any questions please call the Office of Local Government on