The relationship between a council and its community is a two-way street. The law provides you with many opportunities to participate in local decision-making and holds your council accountable.
How you can have your say
- Voting: The most direct way to influence your council is by voting in the four-yearly council elections to choose your representatives.
- Attending meetings: Most council meetings are open to the public, so you can see decision-making firsthand. Every council must also hold a public annual general meeting each year.
- Making submissions: You have the right to make formal written submissions on specific proposals, such as the creation of a new by-law or reviewing or making a new strategic plan.
- Using petitions and polls: You can raise issues directly with your council by starting or signing a petition or join with other residents to request an elector poll on a major issue.
Ensuring accountability and integrity
To ensure councils act in the best interests of their communities, several layers of oversight are in place.
- Councillor conduct: Every councillor must follow the Local Government Code of Conduct that sets standards of behaviour. If you believe a councillor has breached the code, you can find the steps to make a complaint by going to making a code of conduct complaint. For a general overview of how different types of complaints are handled, go to help with complaints and issues.
- Financial oversight: Councils are subject to regular internal audits and audits by the Tasmanian Auditor-General to ensure they are managing public money responsibly.
- Tasmanian Government intervention: In cases of serious or systemic failure, the Minister for Local Government has significant powers. These can range from issuing Performance Improvement Directions that legally require a council to improve, to establishing a formal board of inquiry that can lead to the dismissal of a council.
