New election governance resources available to councils
Caretaker Model Policy and Guideline
In preparation for the November 2026 Local Government Election, LGA has released an updated Model Caretaker Policy and Guideline.
The updates reflect recent legislative change introduced through the Statutes Amendment (Local Government Elections Review) Act 2025. This amendment inserts section 91B of the Local Government (Elections) Act 1999, which requires councils to hold a public meeting for candidates and members of the public in between the close of nominations to before polling day.
However, the legislation allows a council caretaker policy to provide that a public meeting will not be held, where it includes a statement certified by the principal member setting out the reasons.
The revised model policy includes optional provisions to support councils intending to hold a public meeting and those that choose not to.
Election Signs Guideline
The updated Election Signs Guideline combines Commonwealth, State and Local Government Election Signs into a consolidated guideline.
This guideline provides an overview of the display and removal of election signs placed on roads and road-related areas as they relate to different elections. It outlines:
- when election signs may be lawfully placed on roads and road-related areas
- circumstances in which election signs may be removed
- the powers councils have to remove election signs that have been displayed unlawfully.
The guideline can be accessed either as a combined document covering all three election types, or as separate guidance addressing Commonwealth, State or Local Government elections individually.
Find out more
For more templates and guidelines, visit governance codes, policies and guidelines to see the full list of resources.