THE state government has ushered in changes to how local council elections, including Hawkesbury Council, will be conducted from 2020.
The state government said the changes made council elections more transparent, while Local Government NSW has praised the changes.
The state government will adopt all 10 recommendations from the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters’ report called Inquiry into preference counting in local government elections in NSW.
The changes revolve around how councillors are elected, the removal of by-elections to replace councillors who resign, as well as changes to scrutineering laws.
Local Government Minister Gabrielle Upton said the changes would make elections more transparent.
“The community must have faith in the electoral system and these changes will improve council elections to the benefit of both candidates and voters,” she said.
Local Government NSW supported the state government’s changes.