This year, for the first time, local government candidates are required to complete mandatory training to be eligible to nominate.
Below are frequently asked questions with answers for prospective Council election candidates.
Why do I need to do the training?
The course is about building confidence for both candidates and communities. You must complete the course to nominate for council.
The training covers vital information you need to know about being a councillor, including understanding a conflict of interest, a code of conduct, and what support is available to help you do the role.
The mandatory course was introduced in the Local Government Act 2020 to ensure candidates understand the role of councillor and the standards they are expected to uphold if elected.
If I do the training, do I have to nominate? I’m not sure right now I want to put my hand up.
No, you don’t have to nominate if you complete the course. However, you must complete this training if you wish to nominate in the future.
We encourage you to do the training even if you haven’t decided to nominate yet or if you think you’d like to nominate at some point in the future.
How can I access the training?
Training is available online; you can access it from a home computer or tablet with an internet connection. Please note that training is not optimised for mobile phones.
You can complete training at your own pace, any time, 24 hours a day seven days a week. You must finish the training before you nominate.
I have already completed training similar to this; do I need to do this?
Yes. You must complete this training, provided by the Victorian Government, if you wish run for election to council in 2020.
Some councils and other organisations are offering information sessions and campaign training. While those courses are useful and worthwhile if you have the chance, they are not the training required to nominate under the Local Government Act 2020.
How long will it take to complete the training?
It should take about an hour to complete the training.
Can someone else complete the training for me?
No. Under the Local Government Act 2020 all candidates must complete this training. If you need help to complete the training, please see the question below: What if I need help?
When you nominate as a candidate with the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) you must make a statutory declaration that you have completed the training.
A statutory declaration is a written statement that you sign and declare to be true and correct, in the presence of an authorised witness (the VEC will provide you with information about this if you decide to nominate).
By signing the statutory declaration, you agree that the information in it is true. You can be charged with a criminal offence if the information is false.
