Circulars

What’s new or changing

• The Local Government Act 1993 (the Act) requires council general managers to prepare and confirm the rolls of non-resident owners, occupiers and ratepaying lessees of rateable land in the council’s area (the non-residential rolls).
• The non-residential rolls are to include the names of the persons who:
  • have applied, at any time, for the inclusion of their name in any such roll; and
  • on the closing date (40 days prior to the election) are, in the opinion of the general manager, qualified for inclusion in that roll.

What this will mean for your council

• The Act provides that all non-resident owners, occupiers and ratepaying lessees of rateable land in an area are eligible to vote in local government elections.
• In preparing the non-residential rolls, the general manager must:
  • include the names of all persons who have previously applied for enrolment; and
  • check that those persons continue to be eligible to be enrolled.
• Forty days prior to election day, councils’ general managers are required to finalise the non-residential rolls:
  • for councils administering their own elections, the general manager is to confirm the non-residential rolls; and
  • for elections administered by the Electoral Commissioner, the Commissioner is to confirm the roll after being certified by the general manager.

Key points

• Councils need to ensure that everyone eligible to vote in the upcoming local government elections has the opportunity to do so.
• Councils should include relevant information, including eligibility criteria and the process for making a claim for inclusion on the non-residential rolls on their websites.
• Customer services staff must be made aware of this issue in order to assist any person wishing to make a claim for inclusion on the rolls.

Where to go for further information

• For further information, contact the Office’s Council Governance Team on 4428 4100.

Tim Hurst
Acting Chief Executive