Local councils ‘should have workplace culture overhauled like federal parliament’

The overhaul of federal parliament’s toxic workplace culture should be rolled out across Australia’s 537 councils, the peak body for women in local government has declared.

Bullying is in part to blame for women being turned off running for local council, the Local Government Women’s Association says.

The Kate Jenkins-led overhaul of federal parliament’s toxic workplace culture should be rolled out across Australia’s 537 councils, the peak body for women in local government says, amid warnings a gradual increase in female councillors was “very fragile” and being hampered by bullying.

The Australian Local Government Women’s Association has released new data revealing 40 per cent of councillors across the country are women, up from 37 per cent in 2020 and 28 per cent in 2010.

Female representation in Tasmania, Western Australian, South Australian, NSW and Queensland also increased in the past four years but fell slightly in Victoria from 43.8 per cent to 43.16 per cent.

The percentage of female councillors in the Northern Territory dropped from a high of 37.3 per cent in 2010 to 33 per cent in 2024.

“Even in Victoria, with the highest percentage (of female representation among the states), there are still a large number of councils with one woman and until this election in October there was still a council with only men,” ALGWA treasurer Coral Ross said.

“It isn’t a uniform 40 per cent of women councillors. It’s very fragile. It goes up and down.”

In order to reach parity, which Ms Ross has predicted may not occur until the 2060s, female councillors needed to be convinced to stand for re-election.

But barriers – including childcare, male hostility, meeting times, travel, harassment, a bullying culture and a lack of confidence – were stopping women from running again.

“Some women, they say it’s like going into a bear pit. Why would they want to go into a bear pit?” Ms Ross said. “The culture of bullying (must be addressed). That can be both within the council but also we’re seeing much more of online abuse as well. That’s becoming a huge issue and it’s across the world.

“The measures of Set the Standard set very good principles for all levels (of government), all parliaments and all council chambers. So if those 28 recommendations could be implemented everywhere, that would make a difference. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel.”

Ms Jenkins’ 28 Set the Standard recommendations included a 10-year strategy with targets to achieve gender balance in political parties; eliminating language, behaviour and practices that are sexist or otherwise exclusionary and discriminatory; improving safety and respect in the parliamentary chambers, and; codes of conduct for parliamentarians and parliamentary precincts.

Kylie Spears, a three-time mayor of Maroondah City Council and ALGWA president, said she’d received consistent support from her peers and joined the council when there was already a number of women elected, who became great mentors.

She acknowledged her experience was not shared by all female councillors.

“We might say in Victoria ‘we’re at 43 per cent’ (female representation) but across the metro councils, they will be far more balanced than if you were to look at the regional, rural and remote councils,” Ms Spears said.

“If you talk to some of our rural and remote women, they’re the only woman on council or they’re one of two out of seven or nine. That, as a new councillor in particular, is incredibly challenging.”

Ms Spears said proper remuneration had to be part of the path to 50 per cent female representation, with younger women often unable to afford giving up their jobs to become a councillor.

“In Queensland you’re paid to be a councillor so the base pay in Queensland is about $75k. In South Australia a regional councillor might only be getting $8k,” she said.

“The disparity between remuneration and the effectiveness of that remuneration is enormous. For so many women that is a blocker and a barrier right at the outset.”

ALGWA analysis also showed government funding for forums for women to learn about what’s involved in getting elected correlated with an increase in female representatives.

Ms Ross said federal government funding for local government forums would make a difference.

“The Northern Territory (female representation) is the lowest (of all states and territories in 2024) but it was the highest when federal government supplied money for forums pre-2015. It shouldn’t be that women in the NT miss out because there’s lack of funding to give them skills to be able to get elected,” she said.