Councillor Allowances and Numbers - review outcomes

On 12 September 2025, the Tasmanian Government released a discussion paper proposing reforms to local councillor numbers and allowances. The proposed reforms respond to several issues with Tasmania’s current framework, including:

• some of the highest numbers of councillors per capita but also some of the lowest allowances in Australia; and
• representational inconsistencies between similar councils caused by historic, ad-hoc reviews.

The reforms attracted significant community interest over an eight-week consultation period, with 49 submissions received, including:

• 24 from councils
• nine from individual councillors
• 13 from members of the public
• three from organisations.

Following consultation, the Tasmanian Government has agreed to a final reform position, which includes some changes to the original proposal, in response to feedback. In summary, the final reform package will see:

• All councils having either nine or seven elected members, unless specified councils formally request that they adopt a five-member model under new statutory provisions to be included in the Local Government Act 1993. This will reduce the total number of councillors from 263 to 213.
• Retention of the proposed revised six allowances categories, which are set according to the relative scale and representational responsibilities of councils.
• Inclusion in the council scoring methodology of the total number of rateable properties and total length of council roads (including unsealed roads) to better reflect relative representational need and demands on elected members.
• The reform proposal remaining cost neutral overall. Net savings at the statewide level are estimated at approximately $85,000.
• No new statutory superannuation or quorum management provisions.
• Legislating the methodology in a schedule of the Local Government Act 1993 for future numbers and allowances reviews, with a statutory requirement to routinely apply the methodology every four years.
• Creating a head of power for the Governor, by order and on the recommendation of the Minister, to adjust councillor numbers in accordance with future reviews.

The final reform position paper can be found here:

• Reforms to Councillor Numbers and Allowances Final Reform Position [Word] [PDF]

Changes to the Local Government Act 1993 and Local Government (General) Regulations 2025 are required to implement the reforms. These amendments will be included in the forthcoming Local Government Amendment (Targeted Reform) Bill 2026.

Pending approval by the Tasmanian Parliament, the changes will take effect in time for the October 2026 local government elections. Elections will be held for the new number of councillors in each municipal area, and the new allowances (indexed) will apply from 1 November 2026.