“Council Elections

Information about Council elections to be held on 3 September 2011 under NSW State Government legislation”

http://www.wollongong.nsw.gov.au/council/elections/Pages/default.aspx

Sharon Cousins – intending Candidate for Councillor – Ward 2

Sharon has been involved in opposing the introduction of parking meters into our lives and city, and is one of the candidates who represents something new.

Amongst other things, Sharon says she has ongoing commitment as a volunteer convenor of the retail/community action group called “We love Wollongong but hate parking meters”.

Check out what she has to say at:
http://readyresumes.webs.com/councilelection.htm

Replies to some queries from NSW Electoral Commission

“I refer to your enquiries regarding the methods of election for the forthcoming elections for Wollongong Council. Just to clarify, the NSWEC is responsible for the conduct of all Local Government elections in NSW, including councillor and mayoral elections (where the mayor is elected by the electors of an area).

VOTING FOR LORD MAYOR

With regard to the mayoral election, the method of voting is optional preferential – the same as for the NSW Legislative Assembly.

To cast a formal vote electors must place the number “1” next to their first choice candidate. They have the option to show further preferences, by placing consecutive numbers starting with “2” for as many candidates as they wish. The directions for voting are printed on the ballot paper.

To be elected, a person requires an absolute majority (50% + 1) of the formal first preference votes. If no candidate receives a majority on first preferences, the candidates with the lowest number of votes are excluded, one at a time, until their preferences result in a candidate achieving an absolute majority of the formal votes remaining in the count.

VOTING FOR WARD COUNCILLORS

With regard to the election of councillors, the method of counting votes is optional preferential proportional representation – similar to the NSW Legislative Council. This is a complicated system and the votes will be counted using special software developed by NSWEC.

The makeup of the ballot paper for each ward, which will not be determined until nomination day (depending on whether groups are formed with group voting squares), will largely determine the requirements for a formal vote.

Without going into the complete detail of the counting method, to be elected, a candidate generally requires a quota of votes. The quota is calculated as follows:
Total formal votes for a ward ¸ number of candidates to be elected + 1 (+1)
eg for Wollongong – 25,000 ¸ 5 = 5,000 + 1 = 5,001 (N.B. This is an example only, as the three new Wards may have larger numbers of formal votes – reformwcc)

If a candidate achieves a quota on first preferences, the candidate’s surplus votes are distributed to the remaining candidates, with a transfer value applied, according to the next preference on each ballot paper. Other candidates are elected as they achieve a quota (although in some circumstances a candidate can be elected without a quota). Candidates with low number of votes are excluded and those votes are distributed to remaining candidates according to preferences on ballot papers.

The counting methods are set out in Schedules 4 and 5 respectively, to the Local Government (General) Regulation 2005.

REGULATED ELECTION PERIOD

The production and distribution of electoral material in relation to local government elections (including the fresh election in Wollongong City Council) is regulated by the provisions of Div 9A, Chapter 11 of the Local Government (General) Regulation 2005. Subdivisions 3 to 5 create offences in relation to, among other things, the printing etc of certain electoral material during the regulated election period including material that does not contain authorisation details or material that encourages informal voting.

Election day under the Local Government (Shellharbour and Wollongong Elections) Act 2011 is Saturday, 3 September 2011. The regulated election period is that commencing on the 40th day preceding election day and ending at 6pm on election day (see defined terms regulated period and closing date under clauses 356A and 275 of the Regulation, respectively).”

Please note – this response to you is an overview only and does not by any means constitute a comprehensive explanation of the voting systems.

Further information regarding the election will be added to the NSW Electoral Commission website in due course. http://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/

If there is no clear mandate to implement Ward Precinct Committees with the election of a new Council, they should at least act on the unanimous resolution of the last Council (as it waited to be unilaterally dissolved by the panic stricken ALP state government) to hold a public forum on Community Advisory Groups.

This formal motion was passed by our elected representatives, is valid, and needs to be implemented:

“MINUTES – EXTRAORDINARY MEETING OF COUNCIL HELD ON MONDAY 3 MARCH 2008
60 RESOLVED on the motion of Councillor Martin seconded Councillor Cartan that in order to strengthen the links between Councillors, Council officers and communities that -
1 A forum be held within the next two weeks to discuss the most appropriate model for re-establishing a network of Community Advisory Groups that can effectively develop appropriate, harmonious and formal links with Council.
2 Council write to former Neighbourhood Committee Convenors and Convenors of Local Area Meetings, as part of an open public invitation, and ask them to send two representatives to the forum.
3. The forum be publicly advertised.
4 The operation of Community Advisory Groups be reviewed, along with the Community Engagement Policy, by the end of 2008.”

At the first Council meeting, a new Councillor should move that the motion be amended to:

1. replace ‘two weeks’ with ‘two months’
2 replace “Local Area Meetings” with “Neighbourhood Forums” in 2
3. the date in 4 to read “by the end of 2011”.
4. Include an explicit reference to Council officers to update their report on Precinct Committees (Ordinary Meeting of Council 17 October 2005 Wollongong City Council ITEM 3 REF: CM90/05) so a best practice Precinct Committee model can be fully considered by the forum attendees as one of the options for a Ward based Community Advisory Group.

Cheers

Bruce

Before we know it, we will be voting in the Wollongong City Council election on Saturday 3 September.

The newly elected Council will be in office for longer than a normal Council and have a wonderful opportunity to be down any new policies.

What we really need as a result of the election campaign leading up to polling day is a clear mandate for change. That is, to have a majority of elected Councillors who have put their proposals for reform to the wider community which elects them.

In particular we need clear policy statements from candidate regarding:

• introducing Ward based Precinct Committees as committees of Council, with election of members from within the Ward..
• Introducing Ward based Council contact offices and Council-Ward liaison officers to allow members of pubic to access Council service and to assist Ward Councillors, Ward Precinct Committee and smaller scale neighbourhood forums. (These to be based in the Ward, not Burelli Street)
• Place based planning, with our communities having a real say in setting priorities, and the character of the area,

There may be other reform matters which require being put to the voting public in order to have a clear mandate, but the above are core reform matters if we are to move away from the concentration of power in Burelli Street. We know how that leads to corruption.

This mandate is important if the wider community is to be able to have a sense of ownership of the reforms.

TIMETABLE

When the Federal government took the Northern Territory off the hands of South Australia in 1911, part of the deal (which was put into law) was that the Feds would build a railway connecting South Australia to Darwin. 1911. But they never said when. It took almost a century for the Commonwealth government to live up to its own law.

So, in addition to seeking a mandate for core reform matters, candidates also need to make very clear that the timetable will be for implementing any reforms. For example, to start the processes in the first Council meeting with an aim to having things in place by February 2012.

Bruce
13 May 2011