Pandemic postpones Council elections again

THE Local Council elections have been postponed for three months in light of the growing Covid-19 situation in Sydney.

Council elections which were set to take place on September 4, will now be held on December 4, with candidate nominations open until Wednesday, November 3.

Minister for Local Government Shelley Hancock said the decision was made after extensive consultation with and advice from the New South Wales Electoral Commission and New South Wales Health.

“Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and current Public Health Orders impacting Greater Sydney, we have made the difficult decision to postpone the Local Government elections until later this year,” Mrs Hancock said.

“We have taken this step to postpone the election to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our communities, voters, polling staff and candidates,” she said.

A total of $57 million will be spent on creating a Covid-safe election, giving voters the ability to cast their ballot online through iVote or by post.

The government has also implemented changes to pre-poll to ensure that voters have 13 days to cast their ballot, reducing congestion on polling day.

Prospective candidates can find more information by visiting the Office of Local Government website.