Local Government Elections

Local Government Ordinary Elections are held on the third Saturday in October every two years. The next Local Government Election will be held on Saturday 18 October 2025.

The municipality of the City of Canning consists of a directly elected Mayor and 10 Councillors. The following positions will be contested at the 2025 elections:

• Bannister Ward: 1 vacant position (term to expire on 20 October 2029)
• Beeliar Ward: 1 vacant position (term to expire on 20 October 2029)
• Beeloo Ward: 1 vacant position (term to expire on 20 October 2029)
• Mason Ward: 1 vacant position (term to expire on 20 October 2029)
• Nicholson Ward: 1 vacant position (term to expire on 20 October 2029)

Candidate Information Briefing Webinar – 6pm Monday 18 August 2025

WA Local Government Association (WALGA), together with the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety (LGIRS) and the WA Electoral Commission, is hosting an Election Candidate Information Briefing webinar on Monday 18 August 2025 commencing at 6pm.

This session is designed to support individuals considering nominating, providing an overview of:

• Election processes
• Responsibilities of Local Government and Council Members
• Regulatory role of LGIRS

The following presenters will cover a range of topics, with the aim of preparing candidates for the electoral process, and if elected, life as a Council Member:

• Hon. Hannah Beazley MLA - Minister for Local Government; Disability Services; Volunteering; Youth; Gascoyne.
• Karen Chappel AM JP, President, WALGA.
• Dennis O’Reilly, Acting WA Electoral Commissioner & Phillip Richards, Manager of Election Events.
• Erin Gauntlett - LGIRS Deputy Director General
• Tony Brown, Executive Director Member Services, WALGA

Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions during the session.

Enrolling to vote

You may be eligible to be enrolled to vote in the local government elections on 18 October 2025 if you live in or are an owner or occupier of rateable property in the City of Canning.

Residents

You are automatically enrolled to vote if you are on the State Electoral Roll as at 5pm Friday, 22 August 2025. If you are not already on the State Electoral Roll and meet the eligibility criteria, or if you have changed address recently, you must complete an enrolment form.

Enrolment Forms

You can enrol or update your details online, or download an enrolment form, via the Western Australian Electoral Commission website.

Forms are also available from the Australian Electoral Commission.

Enrolments and updates must be completed and received by 5:00 PM Friday, 22 August 2025.

Non-Resident Owners and Occupiers

If you are a non-resident owner or occupier of rateable property in the City of Canning and are on the State or Commonwealth Electoral Roll, you are eligible to enrol to vote.

Owners of land who were on the last Local Government roll continue to retain that status until they cease to own the rateable property to which the enrolment relates. Occupiers do not have continuous enrolment and should contact the City of Canning to confirm their enrolment status.

To be eligible to enrol as an occupier, you will need to have a right of continuous occupation under a lease, tenancy agreement or other legal instrument for at least the next three months following the date of the application to enrol and have paid rent for at least the prescribed amount.

Joint Owners and Occupiers

If a rateable property is owned or occupied by more than two people, a majority of the owners/occupiers may nominate two persons from amongst themselves who are on either the State or Commonwealth
Electoral Roll, to enrol as owner/occupier electors.

Corporations

A body corporate that owns or occupies rateable property may nominate two people who are officers of the body corporate that are on either the State or Commonwealth Electoral Roll to enrol as owner/occupier
electors.

Enrolment Forms – Non-Resident Owners and Occupiers Only

Enrolment forms can be obtained from local governments and must be lodged with the Chief Executive Officer by 5pm Friday, 22 August 2025. Further information can be obtained from the City of Canning.

For more information, please download the Close of Enrolments notice.

Further information

Nominate for Council

To stand for election as a councillor, you must:

• be 18 years of age or older
• be an Australian citizen or a British subject prior to 26 January 1984
• be an elector of the district
• have completed the mandatory Local Government Candidate Induction available on the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (DLGSC) website.

The DLGSC website also has some great information on the nomination process. We recommend checking it out.

Make your vote count

You will receive your voting pack from the WA Electoral Commission around 2-3 weeks before the election. This will typically include a list of candidates, ballot papers, instructions on how to vote, a declaration, and an envelope. Read through the instructions, make your vote, seal the envelope, and post it in the mail. You won't need a stamp and postage will be free.

Optional preferential voting is used to determine the result of local government elections. Watch a short video explaining Optional Preferential Voting.

The City provides guidance for the placement of election signage.

Candidates in local government elections must be aware of their legislative obligation in relation to the disclosure of gifts leading up to the local government elections.

Part 5A of the Local Government (Elections) Regulations 1997 requires both candidates and donors to disclose information about any electoral related gift with a value of $300 or more that was given or promised during the disclosure period.

Electoral gifts

A 'gift' means a disposition of property, or the conferral of any financial benefit, made by one person in favour of another.
It can include:

• a gift of money
• a gift which is non-monetary but of value
• a gift in kind or where there is inadequate financial consideration such as the receipt of a discount (where the difference or the discount is worth more than $300)
• a financial or other contribution to travel
• the provision of a service for no consideration or for inadequate consideration
• a firm promise or agreement to give a gift at some future time.

It is important to note that a gift could be one or more gifts from the same donor that has a combined value of $300 or more.

Disclosure of Electoral Gifts

Both candidates and donors are required to disclose information about any electoral related gift with a value of $300 or more that is given or promised within the disclosure period. This means that a LG09 A Disclosure of Gifts Form is required to be completed by both the donor and the candidate. It is essential that candidates are aware of this legislative requirement and should advise donors of their reporting responsibilities.

Disclosure period

Within three days of nomination, any candidate in a local government election is required to disclose any gifts received within the disclosure period prior to nomination. Candidates must disclose any gifts received in the six months prior to Election Day. Any gift received after nomination is required to be disclosed within three days of acceptance of the gift.
The disclosure period finishes three days after Election Day (for unsuccessful candidates) and on the commencement of financial interest returns for successful candidates.

How a Disclosure is made

All disclosures are to be made on an LG09A Disclosure of Gifts Form and delivered to the City of Canning Chief Executive Officer within three days of receiving the gift, once your candidate nomination has been made to the Returning Officer.
Donors will also need to disclose any gifts made within the relevant period. Information required includes the name of the candidate, the name and address of the donor, the date the gift was promised or received, the value of the gift and a description of the gift.

Contact

If you have any queries regarding the election, please contact the City's Governance team on 1300 422 664.