2021 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS

Local government ordinary elections are held on the third Saturday in October every two years.  The next ordinary elections are scheduled for Saturday 16 October 2021.    Councillors are elected for terms of four years in Western Australia.  Elections are held every two years for half of the council, and candidates are elected using the first-past-the-post voting system.

The Shire of Kent will have four vacancies with current Councillors Justin Germain, Craig Bamess and Kate Johnston completing their four year terms, however they are each eligible to renominate. Councillor Kerryn Stephens resigned his positon as Councillor on 18 March 2021 due to his relocation to Boyanup.

Electors who wish to nominate as a candidate in a local government election must complete a valid nomination application and present it to the Returning Officer before nominations close. Prior to nominating all candidates must complete the online candidate induction, see https://www.dlgsc.wa.gov.au/local-government/local-governments/council-elections/local-government-candidate-induction for further information.

Being a council member is a big commitment. This induction course has been developed to assist your understanding of what your obligations and commitments will be if you are elected and it is compulsory to complete this induction before you nominate. The induction should take approximately 30 minutes to complete and at the end of the course you must complete the online registration to ensure there is a record of your completion of the induction. You will be asked to declare that you have completed the induction when you submit your candidate nomination form. It is an offence to make false or misleading statements on the nomination form, and penalties may apply.

If the number of candidates is equal to the number of vacancies, the candidate is elected unopposed. If there are more candidates than vacancies, the election will proceed.

Anyone interested in becoming a candidate is encouraged to speak with current Councillors to gain further insights into what the role entails, or alternatively attend a Council Meeting, the next meeting is scheduled to be held in Council Chambers at the Nyabing Administration Office on Wednesday 23 June at 5.30pm

Please contact Michelle Bamess, Deputy CEO, on 9829 1051 or email dceo@kent.wa.gov.au if you would like any further information.