Published on Friday, 8 May 2026 at 4:00:00 PM
The Shire of Wandering advises the community that an extraordinary election will be held to fill the vacancy on Council following the recent resignation of Cr. Jennings.
Shire President Cr. Sheryl Little said the election is required under the Local Government Act 1995 and has been confirmed by the Western Australian Electoral Commission (WAEC).
“The WAEC has confirmed that, in accordance with Section 4.8 of the Local Government Act 1995, the Shire of Wandering is required to hold an extraordinary election to fill the vacancy,” Cr. Little said.
“The legislation does not allow Council to carry the vacancy through to the next ordinary local government election, even if Council were to resolve to reduce councillor numbers at that time.”
The extraordinary election will be held on Friday, 31 July 2026 and will be conducted as an in‑person election.
Cr. Little explained that under Section 4.61(4) of the Act, postal elections must be conducted by the WA Electoral Commission. If an election is to be conducted in‑house by the local government, it must be undertaken as an in‑person election.
“To keep costs manageable for the community, Council has resolved to conduct the extraordinary election in‑house,” Cr. Little said. “As part of this decision, the Shire’s Chief Executive Officer will be appointed as the Returning Officer.”
Further information regarding candidate nominations, voting arrangements and key dates will be made available to the community in the coming weeks.
For updates, residents are encouraged to monitor the Shire’s website and official communication channels.
ENDS
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