2024 Council Elections

Election Period

The Election Period commences at 12 noon on Tuesday 17 September 2024, and runs through to 6pm on Saturday 26 October 2024 (Election Day).

During the Election Period, Councils must comply with restrictions imposed by the Local Government Act 2020, and Council’s Election Period Policy.  The Election Period (also referred to in other levels of government as the Caretaker Period) imposes restrictions and certain prohibitions on Council decisions, information that can be published, community engagement, and events that can be run in the lead up to the election. 

Once the Election Period commences, you will notice a banner on Council’s website to alert users that Council communications might be operating slightly differently than usual.

You can read Council's Election Period Policy (included within our Governance Rules) here: Governance Rules and Election Period Policy

Information for prospective candidates

What does becoming a Councillor mean?

Council has partnered with the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) to provide “Stand for Council” workshops, which provide participants 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.

While the in-person events in the North East have concluded, interested persons can register via Stand for Council | MAV website to attend other online events across the State.  Events will be held up to 28 August 2024, and we encourage interested persons to attend a meeting to find out more about what becoming a Councillor may mean for you.  There is no fee for attending an information session.

Other useful links for prospective candidates are:

• Stand for Council | MAV website
• What councils do | Vic Councils

Candidate information

Please note that the Victorian Electoral Commission is responsible for the conduct of the General Election, and those persons wishing to nominate as a candidate must nominate directly with the Victorian Electoral Commission. 

For those persons wishing to stand as a candidate at the election, nominations with VEC will

• Open at 9am on Monday 9 September 2024
• Close at 12 noon on Tuesday 17 September 2024

To stand as a candidate for the election, you must meet certain criteria, and have completed the mandatory Local Government Candidate Training.  You will find important information for candidates on the following websites:

• Alpine Shire Council | Victorian Electoral Commission (vec.vic.gov.au)
• Become a local council candidate | Victorian Electoral Commission (vec.vic.gov.au)
• Local council candidate resources | Victorian Electoral Commission (vec.vic.gov.au)
• Candidate Training (localgovernment.vic.gov.au)

The VEC will also be holding an information session to learn more about becoming a candidate in the election.  Details about the date / time of the information session will be available on the VEC website in the coming weeks.

Useful information for candidates

Prospective candidates may find the following information useful.

Councillor Allowances

Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and Councillor allowances are set by the Victorian Independent Remuneration Tribunal.  Alpine Shire Council is a Category 1 Council.  For more information:

• Victorian Independent Remuneration Tribunal - Allowances for Mayors, Deputy Mayors and Councillors  ​

Key documents

• Key Strategic and Corporate Documents, including:
  • Annual Budgets
  • Council Plan 2021-2025
  • Financial Plan
  • Revenue and Rating Plan
• Councillor Expenses and Support Policy
• Governance Rules incorporating the Election Period Policy
• Asset Plan

Candidate Information Register

Council acknowledges that all election candidates are entitled to access information held by Council.

During the election period, however, Council will only provide candidates with information that is already publicly available.

The Candidate Information Register will be maintained from the close of nominations until election day. This register will capture all information requests made by candidates and Council's corresponding responses to ensure transparency and equal access to information.

Our Corporate and Customer Experience teams will update the Register regularly, ensuring all candidate requests are recorded.

You can view the register here: Candidate Information Register 2024

Ordinary Council Meeting Schedule

Council Meetings are held across the year, with Ordinary Council Meetings held on a monthly basis, and Special Council Meetings held as required.  The Council Meeting Schedule is available along with the Agendas, Attachments, Minutes, and Recordings of Council Meetings.

• Ordinary Council Meetings are generally held on the last Tuesday of the month, and are open to the public.
• Councillor Briefing Sessions are generally held every Tuesday afternoon, except for the week immediately following an Ordinary Council Meeting (ie no Briefing Session on first Tuesday of the month).  Briefing Sessions are not open to the public.

Electoral signage

Private property

The Alpine Planning Scheme permits signage containing information about a candidate for an election to be displayed on private property, with the following limitations:

• Only one sign may be displayed on the land;
• The sign must be smaller than five square metres (5 sqm);
• The sign must not be animated or internally illuminated; and
• It must be removed within 14 days after Election Day (26 October 2024).  

Any sign on private property that does not meet the requirements above will require a planning permit.

Don’t forget that you will need permission of the property owner prior to putting up any signage.

Council land

Signage on Council land, facilities and local roads requires a permit under Council’s Community Local Law 2019 and associated Policies and Permit Conditions.

In respect of the 2024 Council Elections, permits will not be issued for electoral signage on Council land, buildings, or roads.

Arterial roads and freeways

All advertising and signage that is placed within the road reserve of an arterial road requires the prior written consent from the Head of Transport for Victoria.

Councillor Inductions

A comprehensive induction program will be provided to support the newly elected Councillors.  Officers are currently working on the scheduling of these inductions, but prospective candidates should ensure they have availability from the week of Monday 11 November through to Friday 20 December. More details will be provided on this page as soon as they are available.