Sector response to council election reform
The report, tabled in parliament in April, provides a comprehensive review of the 2022 council elections and highlights opportunities for legislative change that could make a positive impact on the next council elections in 2026 and beyond.
LGA’s submission, made on behalf of the state’s local government sector, responds directly to the 19 recommendations detailed in ECSA’s report.
Our response is informed by long-standing advocacy, recent sector-wide consultation to the state government’s Local Government Participation and Elections Review, and the experiences of councils in supporting council elections.
It covers the key themes:
- voter participation
- candidate attraction
- legislative change
- rising costs and resource constraints
- integrity and trust.
LGA has indicated either support or general support for recommendations that directly affect councils, while deferring other technical recommendations to ECSA given their expertise in running elections.
Among the recommendations, the sector has expressed strong support for the recommendation to shift the timing of council elections to a year different to state elections – an issue raised by councils at the 2024 AGM. This change aims to reduce voter fatigue and support higher participation rates.
In addition to responding to ECSA’s recommendations, LGA has also put forward several additional reforms for consideration, focused on practical changes to improve the electoral process.
Next steps
We look forward to the outcomes and recommendations of the state government’s Local Government Participation and Elections Review, which will provide further opportunities to strengthen South Australia’s local government electoral framework.
Launched in 2023, the Review sought feedback from councils, industry and other stakeholders on how communities can better engage with their councils, particularly at election time.
We eagerly await further direction from the state government on this important Review before considering next steps.
Find out more
For councils with questions about LGA’s response to the 2022 Council Election Report, please contact LGA Manager, Governance Michael McCarthy.
For media enquiries, please contact media@lga.sa.gov.au or call 0476 853 689.