The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) is calling for public comment on a review it is undertaking into the cost of conducting local government elections.
The review follows a request to IPART by Premier Gladys Berejiklian to recommend a costing methodology for determining the amount that the NSW Election Commission (NSWEC) charges the Councils for administering their ordinary elections.
IPART has released an Issues Paper to outline the review process and the key issues that need to be considered.
Aside from its legislated function of conducting elections and by-elections for the NSW Government, the NSWEC also conducts local government elections, and elections for a range of government, public and commercial organisations on request.
The range of services the NSWEC provides for Councils include arranging polling places, ballot papers and equipment; recruiting and training election officials; and managing the vote count and publishing election results.
The NSWEC provides these services on a full cost recovery basis either by direct allocation to an individual Council or on a per elector basis.
IPART will conduct a public consultation process as well as its own research and analysis with its Issues Paper outlining its proposed approach to the review.
Submissions in response to the paper may be made until 10 May with IPART due to release a Draft Report on 25 June, with the Final Report on 30 August.
The Tribunal’s 40-page Issues Paper can be accessed at this PS News link.
