Why is the poll one vote per household?

A final decision on the proposed boundary amendment will not be made by Council. It will be made by the NSW Minister for Local Government, assisted by further investigation by the Local Government Boundaries Commission, an independent authority.

However, Council must make a submission to the Minister as part of the process and it is important the stance and information in that submission is well informed by consultation about the opinions of community members in the affected area.

A poll which allows individual votes for every member of each household would require considerably more resources – a cost that is ultimately borne by ratepayers.

Council has opted for a polling method on this topic – one vote per household – that reflects and is appropriate for this stage of deliberation on the proposed boundary adjustment. It balances the cost to Council – and therefore community – while ensuring Council is properly informed about the opinions of each household in the area that would be transferred to the Inverall Shire Council area.

While there is likely to be some households with members that differ in their opinions on the topic, Council believes a one-vote-per-household poll will provide a reliable indication of community sentiment for residents and property owners throughout the identified area.

It is important to note that this is expected to be Council’s final round of engagement on the issue before making its submission, so it is important that as many households as possible return their completed polling forms.