Are you planning to fight the next Council election?

Just four months to go for Council elections in Victoria and the Government is planning to change council electoral regulations.

Voting Source: AAP

Just four months to go for Council elections in Victoria.

This year voters will have access to better information on their local candidates than ever before.

The Victorian Government is planning to change local government electoral regulations.  

These regulations were last changed in 2005 and are due to expire in August 2016.

The Government is giving candidates the option of supplying more information about themselves.

This includes details of any prior training they have undertaken to prepare themselves to become a Councillor.

It also includes information regarding the candidate’s knowledge of key council publications.

Natalie Hutchins the Labor member for Sydenham in Victoria. Source: Facebook

Natalie Hutchins, the Minister for Local Government, said - “Victorians voting at this year’s council elections will have more information about their candidates than ever before.”

"Asking candidates to tell the public about training undertaken highlights the importance of improving standards in local government,” the Minister added.

If the candidate is a current councillor seeking re-election then their attendance record at council meetings will be considered as well.

Another change to the electoral regulations is to allow for slower mail delivery.

The deadline for votes to be received will increase from three to five days.

The Victorian Government hopes that these changes to electoral regulations will create more open and transparent councils.

Last year, the Government rolled out a new performance reporting framework for councils and launched the Know Your Council website.

This reveals and compares the performance of councils across 66 measures.

Presently, the Government is also conducting a review of the Local Government Act 1989 to ensure councils are as efficient and effective as they can possibly be.

Indian-origin Cr Gautam Gupta, Acting Mayor of Wyndham City Council, says that “Councillors must understand the function their council is performing and bring efficiency to the whole process.”

Gautam Gupta, Wyndham City Council Source: Facebook