Council Elections

Candidate Training and Information

Local Government Victoria and the Victorian Electorate Commission require people to meet certain eligibility criteria in order to become a candidate in a council election. This includes undertaking a mandatory candidate training session provided by the Victorian Government. There are also a number of optional training opportunities to help candidates better prepare for the election campaign process.

Mandatory Candidate Training

All candidates in any council election in Victoria are required to complete the online Local Government Candidate Training. All candidates must also declare to the Victorian Electoral Committee (VEC) when they have completed the training in order to nominate. 

The online Candidate Training is available to complete now on the Local Government Victoria website and takes around one hour to complete. 

The candidate training – introduced in the Local Government Act 2020 – has been updated by Local Government Victoria to better equip and prepare candidates who are prospective first-term councillors. The training will help candidates understand the role of a councillor and what it requires before nominating. The training also serves as a refresher for more experienced councillors. 

Candidate nominations for council elections will open on Monday 9 September and close at midday on Tuesday 17 September 2024 – so it’s a good idea for candidates to complete the training before nominations open. 

It is not mandatory for those who have completed Candidate Training in the past two years to complete the training, however, Local Government Victoria strongly recommends that all candidates enrol for the updated training. This will refresh their understanding of the roles and responsibilities of councils and councillors, as well as the standards they are expected to uphold if elected. 

Participants who complete the training will receive a certificate of completion.  

The updated training includes information on: 

These topics will help ensure that candidates have a better understanding of the role of a councillor prior to standing. 

The updated training complements the reforms introduced in the Local Government Amendment (Governance and Integrity) Act 2024 that will introduce a requirement for all councillors to complete professional development training as well as specific training for mayors and deputy mayors. 

For more information on the Local Government Candidate Training visit localgovernment.vic.gov.au/council-governance/candidate-training.   

Northern Grampians Pre-Election Candidate Sessions

Council will be hosting a series two online workshops as part of a Pre-Election Candidate Development Program. The program will be delivered by the Victorian Local Governance Association. 

Through the sessions, council aims to prepare community members to stand as candidates in the upcoming election.   

The Candidate Development Program will equip participants with the information, tools and knowledge they need when considering the role of a councillor and highlight the importance of this role in council’s delivery of positive outcomes for their community through high performance leadership and effective governance. 

All sessions are free however bookings are essential. The session schedule and booking link can be found below. 

Thursday 18 July - Becoming a Councillor

This introductory module covers all the foundations of becoming a councillor. Candidates will learn about their legal and regulatory obligations, participatory decision-making, the importance of Codes of Conduct and essential community leadership skills that promote and model good governance.  

Time: 6.30pm - 8.30pm
Venue: Online
Register: Click here

Thursday 25 July - Life as a Woman Councillor

In this session, candidates will be provided with an opportunity to hear from previous women councillors about their experiences representing local community. From standing for office, to getting elected and serving as a councillor, the unique experiences of women will be shared in an informal and relaxed environment promoting discussion and sharing of ideas.

Time: 6.30pm - 8.30pm
Venue: Online 
Register: Click here

MAV Stand for Council program

Council has partnered with the MAV to deliver the Stand for Council program to run information sessions for the community and prospective candidates for the 2024 council elections. You can attend these sessions either in-person or online and by attending one of these sessions, participants will be provided with information about:

• Local government and the important role councils play for our local communities
• The role and responsibility of a Councillor, Mayor, Deputy Mayor and CEO
• The election process and candidate requirements
• What newly elected councillors can expect soon after the elections
• Councillor training and development opportunities

The Northern Grampians session is being hosted by Hindmarsh Shire Council at Nhill on Wednesday 14 August 6.30pm-8.30pm. Please note that you may attend any of the sessions but will not be able to attend without registration. Click to register to attend a session here.

To support and encourage a range of diverse candidates the MAV will also be hosting a number of additional sessions for women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, people with disabilities, youth, culturally and linguistically diverse and LGBTIQA+ communities.

Registration issues or questions can be sent to standforcouncil@mav.asn.au

Additional Resources

In addition to the mandatory training and the optional information sessions detailed above, all prospective candidates are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the information available at the websites below to ensure their eligibility:

• Vic Councils - Stand For Council
• Victorian Electorate Commission - Becoming a Council Election Candidate
• Local Government Victoria

• Candidate handbook - Local council elections 2024 can be downloaded from here

Northern Grampians Shire Council is a multi-councillor ward structure, with a total of six councillors, three wards and two councillors per ward. The 3 wards in this electoral structure are Central Ward, Grampians Ward and Kara Kara Ward. The ward boundaries were recently reviewed by the VEC and updated by the Minister for Local Government. Click here to view the final report and updated ward map.

Prospective women candidates may also be interested in Pathways to Politics for Women and Women for Election Australia candidate training for women.

The rules for council-enrolled voters have changed.

What has changed?

In previous elections:

• property owners who didn't live in the area would be automatically enrolled - now you must apply if you want to vote in the 2024 and future local council elections and by-elections
• it was not compulsory to vote - now you must vote if you are on the roll or you may get a fine. 

All council elections are conducted by the VEC and are conducted by postal vote.

If you are an Australian citizen who lives in Victoria you can check your enrolment details online at Check my details | Victorian Electoral Commission (vec.vic.gov.au) at any time.

Know the rules around council enrolment for the 2024 Victorian local council elections here.

Enrol to vote online at www.vec.gov.au or contact the Victorian Electoral Commission on 13 18 32.

Forms are also available from the post office.

The following enrolment forms are made available here for easy access for those who wish to apply to be a council-enrolled voter:

Owner ratepayer - ongoing - Application for enrolment - Sect 242(1)(PDF, 64KB) - This form can be used by owners of rateable property in the municipality to apply for enrolment on the council voters' roll. Also, to be used by owner ratepayers who were not entitled to vote at the last Council election in 2020, or by owner ratepayers who have moved out of the municipality since the 2020 election.

Corporation owner or occupier - Appointment of voting representative - Sect 245(1) and (2)(PDF, 71KB) - To be used where the rateable property in the municipality is owned or occupied by a corporation.  This form allows for the appointment of either the company secretary or director to vote in the council election on behalf of the corporation. 

Northern Grampians Council elections are conducted by postal voting by the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC). In the lead up to the 2024 general election, all voting information can be found on the VEC website https://vec.vic.gov.au/

Details about currently elected councillors can be found here.

The Local Government Act 2020 requires that the Chief Executive Officer publish a summary of Campaign Donation Returns(PDF, 181KB) to details of any election campaign donations/gifts received.