An election of Councillors and Mayor for Byron Shire Council will be held on Saturday, 13 September 2008.
If you are an owner, rate-paying lessee or occupier of rateable land which is not your primary residence, you or a nominee may be entitled to be enrolled on the roll of non-residential owners of rateable land or the roll of occupiers and rate-paying lessees for this election.
Details of the eligibility criteria for a claim and enrolment claim forms may be obtained from Byron Shire Council’s office at 70-90 Station Street, Mullumbimby, phone 02 6626 7122, fax 02 6684 3018, website www.byron.nsw.gov.au/council/elections.aspx or will be forwarded to you by Council upon request.
The claim must be completed and lodged with Byron Shire Council on or before 6.00pm Monday, 4 August 2008.
If a claim for non-residential enrolment was made for a previous council election and you wish to claim enrolment for this election you must re-apply.
All electors enrolled on the Commonwealth/State electoral roll as at Monday, 4 August 2008 residing in Byron Shire will be included on the roll for the election.
To check your enrolment details or to obtain a residential enrolment form visit www.elections.nsw.gov.au or call 1300 135 736. Residential enrolment forms are also available from any Australia Post office.
Enrolment forms must be received by 6pm Monday, 4 August 2008.
Voting in Local Government elections is compulsory for all electors included on the residential roll.
The Returning Officer for the Local Government election has been appointed by the NSW Electoral Commission and will commence work on Monday 21 July 2008.
Council is sharing a Returning Officer with Ballina Shire and the Returning Officer will be based at Ballina. Please note the office will not be open to the public until Monday 28 July 2008.
Details are as follows:
Mr Kerry Crawford Shop 1 129 Tamar Street Ballina NSW 2478
Phone 1300 135 736
Local Government elections are held on the second Saturday of September every fourth year and by-elections are conducted periodically when a vacancy occurs.
The next election to be held in Byron Shire is scheduled for Saturday 13 September 2008.
It is compulsory to vote in an election if you are on the electoral roll.
Important dates for the 2008 Local Government elections:
Further information will be available on this website closer to the election.
For more detailed information on local government elections contact the NSW Electoral Office:
Local Government elections and by-elections are conducted in a legal environment in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government 1993 and the Local Government (General) Regulation 2005.
The NSW Electoral Commission (NSWEC) is responsible for the conduct of all Local Government elections to ensure that the elections are conducted independently and impartially.
An independent Returning Officer is appointed by the NSWEC to each council area to conduct the election on behalf of and under the direction of the Electoral Commissioner.
The Electoral Commissioner appoints the polling places for council elections and the Returning Officer appoints the election officials.
Each council is required by law to meet the costs of the conduct of its election. The NSWEC works with each council to establish agreed service levels.
All residents of Byron Shire are entitled to vote at the local government elections if they are registered on the electoral roll and voting is compulsory. Electors enrolled for Federal and State elections are automatically enrolled for their local Council area.
Certain non-resident ratepayers are entitled to vote in local government elections. Byron Shire Council prepares and maintains a non-resident ratepayers’ roll for the statutory period associated with a scheduled Local Government election.
The Local Government Act 1993 (Section 299) provides that the non-resident ratepayer roll lapses after each election, including by-elections, and the roll is prepared specifically for each election. The roll is not maintained between elections.
The opening of the roll must be advertised 60 days before the closing of the roll; ie 6 June 2008. Past practice has been to advertise the opening of the roll prior to the election in accordance with Clause 280 of the Local Government (General) Regulation 2005, inviting claims for inclusion on the roll for that election. Applications must be made on the prescribed form.
Inclusion on the non-resident ratepayer roll entitles a person to vote in the election, but application must still be made for a pre-poll or postal ballot to exercise that right if not physically voting at a polling booth in the Council area on election day.
For information on State Elections visit the NSW Electoral Office website.
For information on Federal Elections visit the Australian Electoral Commission website.