Petitions

What is a petition?

A petition is a formal written request to the Council for something desired that has been signed by more than 5 people. Where a petition has been signed by less than 5 people, it is forwarded directly to the appropriate Council Officer for action.

If a petition contains 5 or more signatures, it is presented to Council and then forwarded to the appropriate Director for action.

Download the Petition Policy(PDF, 641KB)

Preparing a petition

As a guide to best practice, Council may only accept petitions that meet the following criteria:

• Petitions should be typed or in writing (other than pencil) in a legible form.
• Petitions should be in relation to a matter that Council has control over or is in a position to advocate to other levels of government.
• Each petition should clearly include the name, address and signature of all persons signing the petition.
• Telephone numbers are not necessary on a petition and it is suggested that they not be included for privacy reasons.
• Petition statement (the expected action to be taken by Council e.g. we request the Council to construct a footpath) must be clearly shown at the top of every page to ensure that each signatory is fully aware of what the petition is outlining.

Petitions containing inappropriate material will not be accepted and in this event the Contact Person will be provided with an explanation of why this has occurred. A petition will be considered inappropriate if it:

• Contains abusive language.
• Contains remarks that could be considered defamatory, indecent, abusive, or offensive towards a person or entity.
• Is not clear with its intent.
• Is not legible.
• Is aimed at embarrassing a Councillor or a member of Council staff.
• Seeks to encourage an unlawful activity. 

e-Petitions

The Chief Executive Officer may accept a e-Petition if they are satisfied that the petition is authentic and from a legitimate website and provided that the electronic petition has been closed and a copy has been forwarded to Council.

Council prefers e-Petitions that include details of the ‘request for action’ being made of Council on every page, the name, residential address and email address of petitioners.

How does a petition get considered at a Council meeting?

Council manages petitions in accordance with the following:

• All petitions, containing 5 or more signatures, received by Council are presented to a Council meeting. Where a petition has been signed by less than 5 people it is forwarded directly to the appropriate council officer for action.
• In accordance with Council's commitment to privacy, only the issues raised in the petition along with the number of signatories will be presented to Council.
• The petition will not be discussed at the Council meeting - it will be referred to the appropriate Council department for action.
• The Contact Person will be informed of the Council’s action. Council will not respond to all petitioners as this is considered to be the responsibility of the Contact Person.
• The time taken to respond to a petition depends on the nature and content of the petition.

Can a Councillor present a petition at a Council Meeting?

A Councillor may present a petition to a Council meeting in accordance with the Governance Rules.

Petitions objecting to a planning application

If a petition objects to a planning application, once it has been presented to the Council in the manner described above it is forwarded to the Director Planning and Place. The Contact Person is registered as an objector to the specific application and all other signatories are invited to lodge their own objection. The objections are then dealt with through the planning application process.

Where a petition has been signed by less than 5 people it is forwarded directly to the appropriate council planning officer for action. The Contact Person is registered as an objector to the specific application and all other signatories are invited to lodge their own objection. The objections are then dealt with through the planning application process.

For more information on petitions objecting to a planning application, please contact the Statutory Planning Unit on 03 8290 3329.