Council Reaffirms In Principle Decisions to Retain a Mayor, Abolish Wards and Comprise 9 Area Councillors

Section 12 of the Local Government Act 1999 requires Council to undertake a complete review of all aspects of its composition and the division (or potential division) of the Council area into wards, at least once in each relevant period that is prescribed by the regulations (determined by the Minister – approximately every eight (8) years).

Adelaide Plains Council (then District Council of Mallala) last completed a representation review in September 2013, and in accordance with the Local Government Act and as determined by the Minister, is due to complete the next review by October 2021. Mr Craig Rowe of C L Rowe & Associates has been engaged to facilitate the current representation review.

Work commenced on the current representation review in November 2020 and has included workshops, public consultation on a Representation Options Paper from late 2020 to early 2021 and, on 22 February 2021, the making of in principle decisions regarding Council’s preferred composition and ward structure:

• Retain a Mayor, elected by the community
• Abolish wards
• Composition of 9 area councillors and 1 Mayor

Council, at its Ordinary Meeting on 22 March 2021, then considered, and endorsed for public consultation, a Representations Review Report pursuant to section 12(8a) of the Local Government Act. Public consultation was undertaken from Wednesday 24 March 2021 until Wednesday 21 April 2021 and a total of four submissions were received, representing 0.06% of eligible electors. “This response was not completely unexpected given that only five submissions were received from the public during the initial round of public consultation and only four submissions were received during the review that took place in 2013. A small response could simply be a sign of a lack of opposition to the Council’s proposal,” said Mayor Wasley.

Most recently, at its Ordinary Meeting on 28 June 2021, Council considered the submissions and a second Submissions Report and reaffirmed its in principle decisions set out above.

“Benefits to be achieved through the abolition of wards includes that the community will be afforded the opportunity to vote for all members of the Council, not only those in one particular ward, and, accordingly, the most favoured candidates from across the entire Council area will likely be elected,” said Mayor Wasley.

“The Local Government Act is clear; councillors are elected to represent the interests of all ratepayers and residents. Abolishing wards is consistent with this position. Additionally, rates are collected across the entire region. It therefore makes good sense for councillors to be elected to represent the area in its entirety, rather than elected by wards,” he noted.

The consultant will now prepare a final report for submissions to the Electoral Commissioner. The Commissioner will consider whether the requirements of the Local Government Act have been satisfied and whether certification of the Council's proposal is warranted. Upon receipt of certification from the Commissioner, Council is required to publish a notice in the Government Gazette which will provide for the implementation of the proposed (then, certified) future composition and structure of Council. These changes will take effect at the November 2022 local government elections.

For more information regarding the elector representation review, please contact Council on (08) 8527 0200 or email info@apc.sa.gov.au.

Mark Wasley
Mayor

5 July 2021