Do you think you would like to be a member of the Tweed Shire council?
Residents considering running for Council can attend briefing sessions to find out about being a councillor ahead of local government elections.
Tweed Council will host a series of candidate briefings in March and April to provide a thorough understanding of the role of Councillor, ahead of the NSW Local Government elections on Saturday September 4, 2021.
The four briefing sessions will be hosted by former Mayor of Lismore Jenny Dowell OAM, with the support of Council and Local Government NSW.
A reduced three-year term
Councillors elected in September will serve a reduced three-year term after the 2020 election was postponed by 12 months due to COVID-19. The future schedule of council elections will not be impacted by this change, and the subsequent election will proceed in September 2024.
Council General Manager Troy Green said the briefings would provide a better understanding of the role and responsibilities of an elected member of Council. ‘Councillors play a crucial role in the decision-making process at Council and it is essential anyone considering nominating to run in the upcoming election do so with their eyes wide open,’ he said.
‘The position covers an extensive range of subject areas and requires a substantial time commitment.
Supporting elected members
‘As a Council body, we do all we can to support our elected members, and we hope these candidate briefings will provide a good overview of what is involved in the role and answer all the questions prospective candidates may have.’
The candidate briefing sessions will contain an array of information, including: The benefits and importance of local government; Understanding the role of Council and the role of Councillo; A typical council structure; Challenges of the role and how to meet them; The importance of diverse representation on Council; Importance of speaking out on key issues and how to do this confidently; Meeting procedures and rules of debate, and; Support available including information and networks.
Potential candidates need only attend one session, with the same content to be repeated at each event.
• Tuesday 23 March: 1-4pm at the Council Chambers, Murwillumbah Administration Office
•Tuesday 23 March: 5.30-8.30pm at the Council Chambers, Murwillumbah Administration Office
•Tuesday 27 April: 1-4pm at the Harvard Room, Tweed Heads Administration Office
•Tuesday 27 April: 5.30-8.30pm at the Harvard Room, Tweed Heads Administration Office
Prospective candidates interested in attending the candidate briefings should register by visiting:
•Murwillumbah sessions: tsc-candidate-briefings-murwillumbah.eventbrite.com.au
•Tweed Heads sessions: tsc-candidate-briefings-tweedheads.eventbrite.com.au
For further questions, call Council on 02 6670 2400.
Council has engaged the NSW Electoral Commission (NSWEC) to administer the election on its behalf. Registrations for candidates are now being accepted by the NSWEC and close on Wednesday 4 August 2021.
For further information on the election, including how to register as a candidate, visit the NSWEC at www.elections.nsw.gov.au or phone 1300 135 736.
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Lismore future councillor information sessions
With the delayed Local Government elections being held in September, several councils, including Lismore City Council, are holding information sessions for community members who are thinking about running for Council.
So you think you’d like to run for Council?
Residents considering running for Tweed Council can attend briefing sessions to find out about being a councillor ahead of local government elections.
