Deputy Mayor critical of proposed local government election reform

Town of Gawler Deputy Mayor Ethan White is expressing concern over legislation tabled in State Parliament, seeking to reform aspects of local government elections.

The Statutes Amendment (Local Government Elections Review) Bill 2025, introduced by Local Government Minister the Hon Joe Szakacs MP, will amend the Local Government Act 1999, the Local Government (Elections) Act 1999 and the City of Adelaide Act 1998.

While Mr White is supportive of most proposed changes, including:

• Requiring the Electoral Commissioner to publish the number of nominations received in councillor and mayoral races as soon as practicable

• Requiring all councils to hold public meetings of candidates

• Make telephone voting available to those with a disability

Mr White has serious concerns over restricting the eligibility to vote in council elections to Australian citizens.

Currently, residents who live in a council area for more than a month are eligible to enrol to vote in local government elections, regardless of their citizenship status. This includes permanent residents and international students.

However, the proposed legislation, which was tabled in the House of Assembly last month, proposes to remove this right and allow only Australian citizens to be eligible to vote.

It comes after consultation with the sector last year, and also concerns over activity in the City of Adelaide, where it appeared residents were targeted for both enrolment and for the use of their ballot papers.

While this is a serious concern, Mr White does not believe restricting voting rights to Australian citizens is the right answer.

He is calling on the Local Government Minister, State Members of Parliament and local government colleagues, to express their concern and amend this bill, to ensure non-citizens who are residents of their communities, maintain their right to vote.

Debate on the legislation is set to resume when State Parliament returns later in the month.

Quotes attributed to Ethan White:

I welcome a majority of these proposed election reforms and appreciate that they come after consultation with the sector.

However, I believe one of the best parts of local government elections in South Australia is that everyone gets a vote – regardless of your citizenship status.

Permanent residents and international students pay council rates, use council facilities, and engage with their local community, deserve to have a voice in who will represent them.

This will have an effect in Gawler, and across the state – but in particular the City of Adelaide, where around 30% of residents are international students. That’s a third of a community disenfranchised from engaging in active citizenship.

There is no denying that if these changes are successful, it will have an explicit impact on people from particular cultural backgrounds. This should be alarming.

Additionally, members of our community who, for one reason or another, have not received their Australian citizenship, but who might have lived here for decades and actively contribute to our community, will suddenly have their voting rights stripped away from them.

In a world where, now more than ever, democracy is under threat and the rights of minorities are being threatened, I think it is a completely backwards step to restrict those who live, work, study and are part of our communities by taking away their simple right to have a say on who represents them at a local level.