SA councils call for greater diversity

It’s time for a change.

local gove sa

It’s time for a change.

The Local Government Association is leading the call for a greater diversity of candidates in the upcoming council elections in 2018.

LGA President Councillor Sue Clearihan, says that councils recognise the need to have an elected body that closely reflects the composition of their local community.

“Almost a third of South Australia’s population was born overseas, with 17 per cent of households speaking a language other than English at home,” Councillor Clearihan said.

“It’s important that this diversity is reflected in local decision making, and the best way to do that is to have diverse representation on councils. Diverse councils support the sharing of different ideas, perspectives and beliefs and enable consideration of different points of view.

“This encourages robust discussion that can test ideas and result in better, more inclusive decision making. We are grateful for anyone who puts their hand up to serve on council, and there is a lot of knowledge and experience currently within our sector. However, we are keen to see a wider range of people standing for election.”

Without the hurdle of a party-political system, nomination is open to almost every community member over the age of 18.

As long as you are an Australian citizen and have lived in your council area for more than one month, you are eligible to nominate, with a few exceptions such as being an undischarged bankrupt. Local business representatives and people who own property in a council area are also eligible to stand for election.

“It would be fantastic to see a greater proportion of young people and women on councils from different races, religions and personal and professional backgrounds,” Councillor Clearihan adds.

While the number of women running for council in South Australia has steadily increased at every election between 2000 and 2014, rising from 288 candidates in 2000 to 381 candidates in 2014, women still represent just 29 per cent of elected members. It’s important to note, that roughly 62 per cent of candidates in the 2014 elections were aged over 45.

The LGA has produced a booklet called ‘Make a difference - nominate for council’ for potential candidates which explains the role and responsibilities of a councillor here.

New councillors undertake a mandatory training and induction program and receive ongoing professional development opportunities to help them develop the skills they require.

Originally published as SA councils call for greater diversity