Ward Boundary & Councillor Representation Review

Under the Local Government Act 1995 a ward review should take place at least every eight years. The last review for the City of Bayswater was undertaken in 2012; where no changes were made. In June Council resolved to undertake the review in the second half of 2020.

The City currently has four wards (North, Central, West & South) with three Councillors for each ward; with the exception of the South ward which has two. You can use the City's interactive map to find out which ward you live in and who your local representatives are.

Prior to Council undertaking the review the public is invited to consider the appropriateness and effectiveness of the City's current ward system and representation and respond with their preferences and/or suggest an option.

To inform the public a Discussion Paper has been prepared that outlines the review, and presents advantages and disadvantages for a reduction in the number of Elected Members and for the ward system. The paper details the five factors that will be taken into consideration when assessing input and submissions collected from the community. These will also be used throughout the review process, and in determining options for the future. These key criteria are:

• Community of interest;
• Physical and topographic features;
• Demographic trends;
• Economic factors; and
• Ratio of Councillors to electors in the wards.

Community Engagement

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the community survey. 98 responses were received and formed part of the Council Report - October 2020 (pp 89-93) Engagement results (pp 94-100).

Council carried the recommendation to make no changes to the City’s wards and representation at this time, due to the ongoing review of the Act.