Petitions
What is a Petition?
Any elector or group of electors may petition the Council to take action on an item of interest. For example, petitions may ask the Council to change existing policy, Local Law, decisions of Council, or take action for a certain purpose or for the benefit of particular persons.
The petition must relate to a matter Local Government can act on.
Petition Requirements
The Shire of Merredin Standing Orders Local Law 2017 sets out a number of requirements governing the format and presentation of petitions. These are designed to ensure the authenticity of petitions and protect the intentions of petitioners and the Council.
A petition is to:
- Be addressed to the President
- Be made by the electors of the district
- State the request on each page of the petition
- Contain the names, addresses, and signatures of the electors making the request, and the date each elector signed
- Contain a summary of the reasons for the request
- State the name of the person to whom, and an address at which, notice to the petitioners can be given
- Be in the form prescribed by the Local Government Act and Regulations.
Getting a Petition Presented
A petition can be presented to Council at an Ordinary Council Meeting. An Elected Member or the Chief Executive Officer can present a petition. The initiator is to ensure the petition is forwarded to a Councillor or the Chief Executive Officer prior to the start of the meeting at which they would like the petition presented.
Presentation of a petition does not mean the Shire agrees with its content.
Details of dates, times, and location of Ordinary Council Meetings can be obtained here.
What happens at the Council Meeting?
At Item 6. of the Order of Business on the Agenda, the Councillor or the Chief Executive Officer presenting the petition will read out the name and address of the initiator of the petition, a summary of the reasons for the petition, along with the number of signatures collected.
At the time of presentation, no discussion or voting on the subject matter of a petition takes place.
The meeting is not to vote on any matter that is the subject of a petition presented to that meeting, unless:
(a) The matter is the subject of a report included in the agenda
(b) The Council or Committee has considered the issues raised in the
petition.
What Happens Next?
Upon receiving a petition, the Local Government is to submit the petition to the relevant Officer to be included in his or her deliberations and report on the matter that is the subject of the petition.
A staff member will advise what action will be taken when dealing with the petition. A report may be prepared and presented to Council on the issue.
Even though petitions may seem to produce no immediate or obvious result, they serve as a way to make the Council aware of community concerns.
The Shire has a petition template you can use as a guide. Download the petition template here.
Submit Your Petition
- Electronically by email records@merredin.wa.gov.au
- In person at the Administration Building
- By post to PO Box 42, Merredin WA 6415
- Provide to an Elected Member