Project objective
Council is required by section 60 of the Local Government Act 2020 (the Act) to develop, adopt, and keep Governance Rules including an Election Period Policy (which forms part of the Governance Rules) in accordance with Section 69 of the Act.
We’ve drafted proposed amendments to the existing Election Period Policy in preparation for the 2024 Council elections. The policy prescribes actions and procedures the organisation will implement in observance of statutory requirements and established election period conventions in the interests of ensuring a fair election generally during the election period.
This policy builds on the minimum statutory standards to enhance the accountability of the Council, Councillors and Council staff during the election period. The policy will align with Goal 4: (Our Promise) of the Council Plan 2021–25 by providing a transparent and good governance approach in its decision making and aids in achieving a sustainable, high performing and well-governed organisation. The policy will also align with Theme 7: (Council Operations and Accountability) of the Bayside 2050 Community Vision, which directs that Council will serve the needs of its communities, engaging with them, reflecting their desires and aspirations in its activities.
Project impacts
The review will ensure transparent, fair, and equitable guidance is provided to Councillors, candidates, and Council staff in the conduct of Council business during the Election Period.
If Council were to proceed directly to considering the revised policy at a Council meeting, this would not comply with the Local Government Act requirement to conduct community consultation when amending the Council’s Governance Rules (the Election Period Policy forms part of these Rules).
What information do we need from the community?
The two-week community engagement period will seek to understand community sentiment about the proposed amendments to the policy. This will help to ensure the policy meets the needs of Councillors, candidates, and Council staff during the 2024 election period.
Participant contributions will be collated via the online portal to upload a written statement about the proposed policy changes on the project’s Have Your Say page. Contributors can also directly contact the project lead via email or phone to provide feedback. The information collected will help to inform the draft Policy.
What can the community influence?
- The proposed revisions to the Election Period Policy (which form part of the Governance Rules).
What can’t the community influence?
- The broader Governance Rules – this is not a review of the Governance Rules in their entirety.
Stakeholders and community
This stakeholder assessment is a generalised understanding of sections of the community that have a connection to the project or matter. This information is used to understand the types of tools and techniques that will achieve the strongest and most effective outcomes for engagement and communication.
Impact: What level of change the stakeholder / community segment may experience as a result of the project / matter
Interest: What level of interest has been expressed or is anticipated
Influence: Reference to the IAP2 Spectrum
| Stakeholder / community | Impact | Interest | Influence |
| Councillors | M | H | Consult |
| Bayside Candidates for 2024 Council elections | M | H | Consult |
| Council Staff | M | M | Consult |
| Submitters of Public Questions | M | M | Consult |
| Individuals with broad interest in the business of Council | L | M | Consult |
| Community groups/associations/organisations | M | M | Consult |
| General Bayside community | L | L | Consult |
Selected tools and techniques
The tools and techniques selected for this project are informed by the project content, stakeholders and type of feedback sought.
Key tools for communicating the project
- Project page on Have Your Say engagement platform.
- Direct email to relevant Have Your Say members.
- Direct email to relevant stakeholder groups.
- News story on Bayside City Council (BCC) website.
- Feature article in This Week in Bayside e-news.
- In the Loop (Council staff weekly e-news) article
- Social media post on BCC channels
Key methods for gathering feedback
Online engagement through Have Your Say, including opportunity to ask questions, as well as provide feedback
- Upload a written statement on the project’s Have Your Say page.
- Online Q&A forum to address project questions and comments.
- Email, post, or phone submissions.
- Printed materials, as required.
Project timelines
| June - July 2024 | Draft Policy amendments |
| 15 July - 28 July 2024 | Community engagement |
| July - August 2024 | Council officers to consider community feedback |
| 20 August 2024 | Council expected to adopt revised Policy |
Decision-making process
The community will be engaged over a two-week consultation period to gather feedback about their sentiment on the proposed amendments to the policy ahead of the 2024 Council elections.
A review of the community feedback will help to inform the Election Period Policy. The final policy is anticipated to be presented to Council for adoption at the 20 August 2024 meeting.
The agenda for this meeting will be published a week before the meeting date. Interested community members can make a submission or request to speak in relation to this project at the meeting.
Please select the +Subscribe button at the top of the page to receive updates about this project, including when it will be considered by Council and any further opportunities to participate in this project.
More information
Robert Lamb
Council Business Lead
03 9599 4691
