Broken Hill City Council encourages the community to have a say in what Council does and how it does it. There are a number of ways you can participate in Council affairs.
Vote in elections, referendums and polls
Elections - Elections are held every four years. If you are a resident of voting age you must vote in Local Government elections. You don't have to own a house or be a ratepayer to vote but your name must be on the Council electoral roll. If your name is one the State or Commonwealth roll, it will automatically be on the Council roll. If not, contact your local post office about enrolling to vote.
Referendums - Councils may hold constitutional referendums on a set list of issues. There are certain things that a Council can't do without first having a referendum to ask the approval of the community. For example, a Council can't change the number of Councillors elected to office without first getting the approval of the majority of people voting.
Polls - Council may take a poll of the people who are on the electoral roll at any time. A poll is like a referendum in that you vote on an issue and not on a person like you do in an election.
Attend Council Meetings
Broken Hill City Council holds the Monthly Council Meetings on the last Wednesday night of every month starting at 6.30pm in the Council Chambers, which is located at the AdministrativeBuilding on the corner of Blende and Sulphide Street.
The public is welcome and certainly encouraged to attend these meetings.
Agendas (also known as business papers) which set out what will be discussed at the meetings, are available to the public.
Participate in Council Committees - Council has Section 355 Committees, which include members of the public, to help them develop various plans and policies.
View Council Documents - Members of the public are entitled to have access to a number of Council documents. Many of these documents are available on this website.
Participate in the development of Council plans and policies - There are a number of Council plans and policies that may affect you, such as the Management Plan, Annual Report, State of the Environment Report and Plans of Management for community land. You should consider having a say in their development so that your needs are taken into account. Most plans and policies go on display in the library and Council's Administrative building.
Customer feedback and complaints - If you have a problem with Council you should first talk to Council staff. Council has a complaints system in place to ensure that all complaints are dealt with effectively. If you are not satisfied with the way your complaint has been handled then you should write to the General Manager.
Remember, until someone complains, Council may not know there is a problem with a particular service.
If you feel that Council has not adequately dealt with a complaint, you can contact the Department of Local Government.
