Election Period Policy adopted
Campaspe Shire Council has adopted Community Policy 152 - Election Period Policy - in line with Victorian Government legislation.
Changes to the Local Government Act 1989 proclaimed on 18 November 2015, require local government authorities to adopt an Election Period Policy within three months of proclamation (18 February 2016).
Campaspe Mayor, Cr Leigh Wilson, said the policy is in two parts, stipulating behavioural requirements for both Council decision-making and use of Council resources.
“The Election Period Policy is designed to give the community confidence that councillors, officers and election candidates will be treated equally during an election period,” Cr Wilson said.
"While Council had already embraced the new requirements of the Local Government Act as part of its Code of Conduct, adoption of the policy formalises the process so that both councillors and Council staff are very clear on what is acceptable and what is not acceptable."
The purpose of the Election Period Policy is to:
- provide procedures intended to prevent Council from making inappropriate decisions or using resources inappropriately during the election period before a general election.
- limit public consultation and the scheduling of Council events during the election period
- provide procedures to ensure access to information held by Council is made equally available and accessible to candidates during the election.
It is an established democratic principle that elected bodies should not unnecessarily bind an incoming government during an election period. Through the policy, Council commits to the principle that it will make every endeavour to avoid making either “major” or “significant” decisions that inappropriately bind the incoming Council.
An example of a major decision is entering into a contract exceeding $100,000. An example of a significant decision is an irrevocable decision that will have a significant impact on the municipality or the community.
With respect to the use of Council resources, the policy prohibits Council’s communication channels, such as its website or publications, to be used for partisan electoral purposes. And equipment and facilities provided to councillors for their general duties as a councillor cannot be used for campaigning purposes.
Under the policy, Council staff are not able to undertake any tasks connected directly or indirectly with a councillor candidate’s election campaign.
To view the full content of Community Policy 152 - Election Period Policy, visit Council’s website www.campaspe.vic.gov.au or one of Council’s five customer service centres.
The next Victorian council elections will be held on Saturday, 22 October 2016.