Information about Local Government Elections
Overview
A Council serves the Shire of Derby/West Kimberley consisting of a President and eight Elected Members, which represent the whole Shire as one ward.
Elections are held every two years for half of the Council. The Shire President and Councillors are elected for a term of four years.
Pursuant to the Local Government Act 1995, all local government elections in Western Australia are held every two years on the third Saturday in October.
While voting in a local government election is not compulsory in Western Australia, all electors are strongly encouraged to vote.
The Shire of Derby/West Kimberley’s ordinary elections are administered by the Electoral Commission and are conducted in person (this system allows the Electoral Commission to visit the remote aboriginal communities to invite them to vote).
Get Involved in 2023 Local Elections
Shire President Geoff Haerewa is urging all residents and ratepayers to get involved in the upcoming local government elections.
“The Shire and the Council play such an important role in our district, so I encourage everyone to take an interest,” Cr Haerewa said.
“Of critical importance is the Council’s elections cycle, and the next elections are approaching.
“The 2023 elections will however, see several changes to how the elections have previously worked, so we are providing a quick summary of the changes below in a question and answer format.”
| Question |
Answer |
| I heard there was going to be a “full spill” of all Councillors in 2023, is that correct? |
Originally that was the State Government’s plan, but this has since been modified. Only the Councillors whose terms expire in 2023 (or who wish to resign) will now be standing for election.
From the October 2023 Ordinary Elections, the President will be voted in by the electors as a part of the normal electoral process. The term of President will be four years.
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| How does someone nominate to be a Councillor or the President? |
Nominations open on 31 August for one week. More advertisements will occur as we get closer to that date and we will also have information sessions at Derby and Fitzroy Crossing you can attend prior to 31 August. |
| And the way votes are counted changing too? |
Yes, the method of vote counting has changed and is now what is called the “Optional Preferential Voting System”. It closely reflects the way the Legislative Council (Upper House) candidates are elected. Voting is not compulsory, but every elector is encouraged to do so. |
| Will the Voice Referendum affect the normal Shire election date? |
It is possible that the local government election date will change for 2023. The standard day for local government elections across Western Australia is the third Saturday in October every second year (so 21 October 2023). The date for the Voice Referendum is yet to be set, but if it is set for the same day, the local government election date will certainly change. Even if the Voice Referendum is on the weekend either side of 21 October, the state government might still require us to hold our elections on a separate date. If the local government election date does change, there will be lots of notifications to advise all of the electors across WA. |
| I have another question, who can I call? |
Call our Customer Service Team on 9191 0999 or use our Website “Contact Us” system. They will direct your call to the person best able to respond. |
2021 Council Election Results
The results from the 2021 Council Election can be found here.
The results from the election of the Shire President and Deputy Shire President can be found here.
2023 Further Information
Use the following link, which will take you direct to the elections section:
Use the following link, which will take you direct to the elections section:
Toolkit from the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries including Aboriginal language videos can be found here.