Informal Petition ' For General Issues of Concern'
Informal petitions are used to bring an issue of concern to the attention of Council.
A valid informal petition requires a minimum of 10 signatures. The Local Government Act 1993 states that the title and purpose of the petition must appear on every page. This means you cannot attach blank sheets for signatures. They will not be valid if you do.
Council has provided a blank informal petition (downloaded in Word format) below for your assistance.
Formal Petition ' Calling for a Public Meeting, Elector Poll, Etc.'
Formal petitions are required where there is a statutory provision under the Local Government Act 1993 for a ratepayer or elector of a municipal area to petition either a Council or the Minister for Local Government.
The Local Government Act 1993 states that the title and purpose of the petition must appear on every page. This means you cannot attach blank sheets for signatures. They will not be valid if you do.
The four formal petitions which can be lodged and the criteria for a valid petition are detailed below.
Type of Petition | Criteria |
Seeking a public meeting on a matter to be treated as an issue of significant interest to the Community | Section 59 (2) of the Act requires that the petition is signed by at least 5% of the electors in the municipal area or 1,000 of those electors, whichever is the lesser |
Requesting Council to hold an Elector Poll | Section 60C of the Act requires that the petition is signed by at least 5% of the electors in the municipal area or 1,000 of those electors, whichever is the lesser |
Ratepayers seeking a public meeting for affected ratepayers to discuss Council's intention to make a separate rate | Section 103 of the Act requires that the petition is signed by at least 100 affected ratepayers or at least 10% of affected ratepayers, whichever is the lesser |
Requiring the Local Government Board to carry out a specific review | Section 214(2)(c) of the Act requires at least 20% of the electors in the municipal area |
Council has provided a blank formal petition (downloaded in Word format) below for your assistance.
Who is an elector?
An "elector" means a person who is:
(a) Enrolled on the Electoral Roll for the House of Assembly with respect to a property owned in the municipal area; or
(b) The owner or occupier of property in the municipal area;
(c) Over 18 years of age;
(d) A prisoner serving a sentence of imprisonment for a term of less than 3 years; or
(e) Eligible to be on the General Manager's Roll
Preparing and Circulating your Petition
Please check with Council which petition form you need (Informal or Formal), then complete the petition details:
- Enter the title of your petition (what is it about?)
- State the purpose of your petition (what do you want Council to do?)
Once you've filled out your petition, make copies and circulate them.
Please note:
The Local Government Act 1993 states that the title and purpose of the petition must appear on every page - this means you cannot attach blank sheets for signatures. They will not be valid if you do. The Act also states that the full name and address of each petitioner is provided on the petition. If not provided and proof of elector eligibility cannot be confirmed, affected petitioners will be removed from the lodged petition.
Lodging your Petition
Collect all your petitions and attach them together with the "Statutory Petition Lodgement Form"
Enter the number of signatories on the petition
- Enter the commencement and completion dates for the petition
- Enter the "Proposer" details (who is lodging the petition with Council?)
- There can be up to three Proposers to the petition.
- They must be electors
Your completed petition should then be lodged with a Dorset Councillor or the General Manager. You can do this by:
Handing the petition to a Councillor (who will table the petition at the next ordinary meeting of the Council, or forward it to the General Manager within 7 days after receiving it); or
- Dropping the petition into Council Reception at the Council Chambers, 3 Ellenor Street, Scottsdale; or
- Posting it to the General Manager, Dorset Council, PO Box 21, Scottsdale, Tasmania 7260; or
- Emailing it to the General Manager, Dorset Council at gm@dorset.tas.gov.au or dorset@dorset.tas.gov.au
If you have any questions about your petition, please call Council's Executive Assistant on 6352 6500.
What happens once your petition is lodged with Council?
Your petition will be dealt with in accordance with Section 58 of the Local Government Act 1993 and, if it is a formal petition, further relevant sections of the Act.