Nominating to Stand for Council
Nominating to become a member of Council is an important decision. In doing so, candidates put their name and credibility on the line with local voters in a Council election.
Performing in this role will most likely involve working long hours and on occasions, being required to deal with pressures generated by the community in regard to issues of concern to them.
However, there is also the personal satisfaction that you will gain from playing an important part in developing a better community for the future.
Being a Council Member can be demanding and requires dealing with complicated matters. Although you can be sure that other Council Members and the staff will help, new Council Members need to be prepared to learn a lot, very fast. Nevertheless, it is a rewarding role and well worth considering.
To assist prospective candidates to consider what is needed to prepare for becoming a Council Member the Local Government Association of the Northern Territory has prepared a document titled, “So you want to be on Council”. The publication is a useful guide, not only for persons seeking office in local government, but also for persons interested in learning about local government
How can I find out more information about becoming a Councillor?
If you want more information about becoming a Councillor you can:
- ask your Council and look at your Councils website for information about the elections and your Council
- attend one of the Local Government Election Information Sessions (listed below) for help and advice
- pickup a candidate pack from your Council office. The pack has information about how to be a candidate and the forms you need
- contact the Northern Territory Electoral Commision for information about the election, the rules of being a candidate, how to nominate and the candidate form and handbooks on free call 1800 698 683 or visit the website www.ntec.nt.gov.au.
For further information on nominating to stand for council, please visit the Northern Territory Electoral Commission website www.ntec.nt.gov.au
LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTION INFORMATION SESSIONS
The Local Government Association of the Northern Territory (LGANT) will be running free Election Information Sessions in conjunction with the Northern Territory Electoral Commission (NTEC), Councils and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Regional Services (DHLGRS) throughout February 2012. The information sessions will provide participants valuable information about standing for the 2012 local government elections and provide an opportunity to ask questions of representatives from your council, NTEC, LGANT and DHLGRS.
Free information sessions will be held on the following dates:
MONDAY 13 FEBRUARY 2012
6.00pm – Central Desert Shire Council Chambers
5.00pm – City of Darwin Council Chambers
TUESDAY 14 FEBRUARY 2012
12.00 noon – Ti-Tree Library
7.00pm – Litchfield Council Chambers
7.00pm – Barkly Shire Council Chambers – Tennant Creek
WEDNESDAY 15 FEBRUARY 2012
10.00am – Elliott Library
5.30pm – West Arnhem Shire Council Chambers
7.00pm – Katherine Town Council Chambers
THURSDAY 16 FEBRUARY 2012
10.00am – Adelaide River Library
2.00pm – Coomalie Council Chambers
7.00pm – City of Palmerston Council Chambers
MONDAY 20 FEBRUARY 2012
1.00pm - Tiwi Islands Shire Council Office, Wurrumiyanga (Nguiu)
TUESDAY 21 FEBRUARY 2012
10.00am – East Arnhem Shire Council Offices, Nhulunbuy and 2.00pm – Yirrkala Community Sport and Recreation B uilding