The State Government is undertaking reforms to the Local Government Act and a number of local governments, including the City, will be required to have a popularly elected Mayor.
The Minister for Local Government wrote to the City in September, requesting the Council make this change and undertake a Wards and Representation Review, to implement changes before the election in 2023.
In October 2022 Council resolved to change the method of electing the Mayor to a vote by the electors of the City (a popularly elected Mayor) and reduce the number of Councillors from 15 to 14 through a review of the City’s wards.
In November 2022 Council endorsed a Discussion Paper to assist the community to consider options and ideas for the review of the City's wards and representation.
Public consultation was conducted from November 7 to December 21, 2022.
A report was submitted to Council on February 8, 2023 for Council to make its recommendation to the Local Government Advisory Board.
The outcome of the Council meeting was to recommend the following changes:
- Change the number of councillors for the council from 15 to 14.
- Change the number of councillors for the Whiteman Ward from 3 to 2 and implement the change by abolishing one of the positions vacant in the ward at the 2023 local government elections
- Amend ward boundaries by:
a) Transferring the suburb of Brabham from Whiteman Ward to Altone Ward;
b) Transferring that part of the suburb of Caversham in the Altone Ward to the Swan Valley/Gidgegannup Ward;
c) Transferring part of the suburb of Middle Swan, that part not located within the Swan Valley Planning Act Area, from Swan Valley/Gidgegannup Ward to the Midland/Guildford Ward;
d) Transferring that part of the suburb of Lexia from the Pearce Ward to the Whiteman Ward;
e) Transferring that part of the suburb of Henley Brook located within the Whiteman Ward to the Pearce Ward; and
f) Transferring the area known as Orchid Park (area bounded by Marshall Road, Tonkin Highway, Reid Highway and Beechboro Road North), in the suburb of Bennett Springs, from the Altone Ward to the Whiteman Ward.
The ratio of councillors to electors for this arrangement is:
