Council Elections

The City of Kalamunda held local government elections on Saturday 21 October 2023 for the role of Mayor and a total of five (5) councillor vacancies.

The results were:

Mayor

• THOMAS, Margaret [5,291 l 43.84%]

Expiry of Term – 16 October 2027

North Ward

• RITCHIE, Kathy [1,722 l FINAL COUNT]

Expiry of Term – 16 October 2027

• MODOLO, David* [1,193 l FINAL COUNT]

Expiry of Term – 18 October 2025

South East Ward

• GIARDINA, John [1,514 l 45.82%]

Expiry of Term – 16 October 2027

South West Ward

• O’DONNELL, Brooke [1,360 l 49.29%]

Expiry of Term – 16 October 2027

• CANNON, Mary [865 l 31.35%]

Expiry of Term – 18 October 2025

*NOTE: Margaret THOMAS is elected as the Mayor and is councillor on the council whose office becomes vacant under section 2.32(f) of the Local Government Act 1995.

David MODOLO is elected as a councillor of the City of Kalamunda, North Ward until 18 October 2025, in accordance with Schedule 4.1B of the Act.

Find full 2023 election results and details via elections.wa.gov.au

Appointed Returning Officer:

Name: Kellie Foster l Phone: 0472621325 l Email: LGro_Kalamunda@elections.wa.gov.au

Download Official 2023 Notice of Results


2023 Local Government Election - Candidate Profiles

Any person wishing to nominate as a candidate will need to complete an induction to be conducted by the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries.
The induction should take no longer than one hour to complete.
Complete the induction here

Any eligible elector can stand for election as a City of Kalamunda Councillor. Skilled and interested community members are encouraged to nominate. To check your eligibility to nominate in the council election, please see the WA Electoral Commission website

The Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries website contains comprehensive information on the process, expectations and responsibilities of Councillors. You can also find resources on how to run an election campaign and information on voting.

The WA Electoral Commission administer the City of Kalamunda local government elections. The Commission also provide great resources for candidates including information on the disclosure of gifts and the appointment of scrutineers. The Commission recommend that prospective candidates use Nomination Builder tool to develop their profile. Find out more here

For the 21 October 2023 local government ordinary elections, candidate nominations will open on Thursday, 31 August 2023. Nominations cannot be lodged with the Returning Officer before this date. 

Requirements & Submissions

Nominations are to be finalised and lodged in person with the City’s Returning Officer, who is responsible for the local government election once the nomination period opens.

Candidates are required to:

• Complete an online induction prior to nominating for election so they are fully aware of what to expect as an elected member and the rules related to campaigning. 
  NOTE: The induction for prospective candidates is being updated in response to the reforms to the Local Government Act 1995. The new induction for prospective candidates will be available 30 June 2023.
  
• Complete nomination form in the prescribed form, signed and witnessed. Nomination forms are also available from the Returning Officer; the Western Australian Electoral Commission or the City of Kalamunda.
  Candidates will be required to include their completed online induction reference number and date of completion on their nomination form.
  
• provide a single A4 page profile containing containing not more than 800 characters and spaces information about the candidate
• pay a nomination deposit of $80.00 (cash, bank cheque or postal order);
• provide a recent passport-sized photograph (optional);

Prior to nominating, potential candidates should read the WA Electoral Commission’s Guide for Candidates (Postal Elections)  and be familiar with eligibility, nomination and disclosure of gifts requirements.

Candidates are encouraged to make an appointment with the City’s Returning Officer well before nominations close to discuss nominations. The City’s Returning Officer will be available at the City of Kalamunda Administration Centre for appointments during the nomination period.

The Commission has developed an online system called Nomination Builder to assist candidates to complete their nomination form which includes the candidate profile. This is the preferred method of completing the nomination form and profile for elections conducted by the Commission.

Candidates complete their nomination details and profile, print the completed form which has a reference number allocated and lodge it with the Returning Officer. The nomination builder can be accessed at elections.wa.gov.au

Where an agent lodges a nomination on a candidate’s behalf, it must be in the prescribed form with a written authorisation signed by the candidate.

The documents may be hand delivered, posted or faxed to the Returning Officer and must be received by the close of nominations.

2023 Local Government Elections Close of Rolls: Friday, 25 August 2023 @ 5pm

If you are an owner or occupier of rateable property within the City of Kalamunda and you meet the voter eligibility criteria, you are entitled to vote in the local government elections.

Electoral roll

The City’s electoral roll is comprised of two parts; the residents roll and the non-residents owners and occupiers roll. Combining these two rolls produces the consolidated roll. In Western Australia, when you enrol to vote at your home address, you are automatically included in the Commonwealth, State and local government rolls. 

If you own or rent property in the City of Kalamunda but you don’t live in that property, you may be entitled to be included in the non-resident owners and occupiers roll. Body corporates may apply for up to two eligible electors to be on the roll.

If you live in the City of Kalamunda but don’t own property, you may be entitled to be included in the residents roll.

Resident roll

People who reside in the City (irrespective of whether they own the property or are tenants) and who are on the State electoral roll for that property will be on the residents roll automatically and can vote in the City of Kalamunda local government election. No separate enrolment is necessary.

Enquiries about the residents roll should be directed to the Western Australian Electoral Commission on
13 63 06 or you can check your current enrolment details online.

Non-resident owners and occupiers roll

The non-resident owners and occupiers roll is maintained by the City of Kalamunda. It is for individuals who own or occupy rateable property in the City and are enrolled to vote at another address.

Each person applying to go onto this roll must be on the State or Commonwealth electoral roll for a property outside the City’s district.

Any person who is not an Australian citizen (and thus not eligible to be on the State or Commonwealth electoral roll) may still be able to vote in local government elections if the person appeared on the City’s 1996 electoral roll, and has owned or occupied rateable property within the City continuously since at least March 1996.

Enrolment of non-resident owners or occupiers is not automatic. Enrolment claims can be lodged at any time, however, enrolments close 50 days before any election day.

Complete the enrolment eligibility claim form for sole or one of two owners or occupiers if you are:

• an individual who owns property in a City of Kalamunda ward but does not live there
• an individual who does not own but is occupying a property in a City of Kalamunda ward for at least the next 3 months continuously and under a legal agreement.

Complete the enrolment eligibility claim form to register a nominee if you are:

• a non-resident individual of a property owned or occupied by three or more individuals
• a nominee of a body corporate that owns a property in the City of Kalamunda
• a nominee of a body corporate that does not own but is occupying a property in the City of Kalamunda ward for at least the next three months continuously and under a legal agreement.

For further information about the non-resident owners and occupiers roll call 9257 9999. 

How to vote

The City holds postal elections, which are conducted on the City's behalf by the Western Australian Electoral Commission.

Voting packages are mailed to all eligible electors about three weeks prior to election day. The package will include a list of candidates, ballot papers, instructions on how to vote and a declaration. To vote, follow the instructions included in the package.

Completed voting papers should be returned by post as per the instructions included in the voting package.  If you do not think that your postal voting package can be returned by post in time, you can deliver it by hand to a polling official:

• Prior to election day, or on polling day to the City’s Administration Centre at 2 Railway Road, Kalamunda.

Electoral gifts

A 'gift' means a disposition of property, or the conferral of any financial benefit, made by one person in favour of another.

It can include:

• a gift of money
• a gift which is non-monetary but of value
• a gift in kind or where there is inadequate financial consideration such as the receipt of a discount (where the difference or the discount is worth more than $200)
• a financial or other contribution to travel
• the provision of a service for no consideration or for inadequate consideration
  a firm promise or agreement to give a gift at some future time.

It is important to note that a gift could be one or more gifts from the same donor that has a combined value of $200 or more.

Disclosure of electoral gifts 

Both candidates and donors are required to disclose information about any electoral related gift with a value of $200 or more that is given or promised within the disclosure period. This means that a LG09A Disclosure of Gifts Form is required to be completed by both the donor and the candidate. It is essential that candidates are aware of this legislative requirement and should advise donors of their reporting responsibilities.

Disclosure period

Within three days of nomination, any candidate in a local government election is required to disclose any gifts received within the disclosure period prior to nomination. Candidates must disclose any gifts received in the six months prior to Election Day. Any gift received after nomination is required to be disclosed within three days of acceptance of the gift.

The disclosure period finishes three days after Election Day (for unsuccessful candidates) and on the commencement of financial interest returns for successful candidates.

How a disclosure is made

All disclosures are to be made on an LG09A Disclosure of Gifts Form and delivered to the City of Kalamunda Chief Executive Officer within three days of receiving the gift, once your candidate nomination has been made to the Returning Officer.

Donors will also need to disclose any gifts made within the relevant period. Information required includes the name of the candidate, the name and address of the donor, the date the gift was promised or received, the value of the gift and a description of the gift.

An election sign is a sign encouraging a person to vote for a particular political candidate or group.

Election signage is governed by the City’s Election Signage Requirements

Under Schedule 2 Part 7 Clause 61(1)(b) of the Planning and Development (Local Planning Scheme) Regulations 2015, (the Regulations) Election signs are temporary and do not require formal development approval from the City, however they are required to meet the conditions as outlined in the Regulation under Column 2 of the table below and the parameters Council has in place as per the link above.

If you’re unsure about this policy or you have any questions about its application, please contact the City of Kalamunda on 9257 9999.

Councillors are elected for terms of four years in Western Australia. Elections are held every two years for half of the council, and candidates are elected using the first-past-the-post voting system. If a vacancy occurs within a term, an extraordinary election is held.