Ratepayers and residents are encouraged to participate in Council's decision-making process and there are several ways to 'have your say'. One of the ways members of the Mandurah community can ask Council to consider an issue is by petition.

What is a Petition?

A petition is defined as a formal written request, signed by many people, appealing to an authority in some cause. The cause or subject of the submission must be something that the Council has the authority to deal with or has a decision-making role. Typical examples are:

Request for a footpath to be constructed;

Request for playground equipment on a reserve; or

Request for action to resolve a traffic problem.

Issues relating to public housing or police matters, for example, are not matters in which Council has any jurisdiction and requests concerning these types of issues need to be directed to the relevant authority. In these cases, you may choose to send a copy of the final petition to Council for its information.

How should the Petition be worded?

Petitions should be worded carefully so any potential signatories are able to clearly understand the purpose of the petition. The request or subject of the petition must be printed on the top of every page containing signatures of support. The petition should also be addressed to the Council and include a summary of reasons supporting the proposal.

The petition must be expressed in respectful and temperate terms and may be rejected if it is offensive or derogatory to the Council.

Who should sign a Petition?

In accordance with Council's Standing Orders Local Laws, the Council will only consider petitions if it is presented to the Council meeting by an Elected Member, who is fully acquainted with the purpose of the petition, and whose signature appears at the beginning of the petition. So discussing the petition with your local elected member and gaining their support for the proposal is vital to the success of the petition.

Of course, the other important factor is the number of supporters you can get to sign the petition. The more signatures, the stronger the argument in favour of the proposal. However, it is not appropriate to get just anyone to sign the petition. Signatures should be confined to ratepayers and residents of the community, aged over 18 years and must be limited to those people affected by the proposal.

How will Council treat the Petition?

When you have collected as many signatures on the petition as possible, it must be handed or posted to the elected member who has included their signature on the petition. The elected member will then table the petition at the next Council meeting and read the proposal to the meeting.

Council will then resolve to receive the petition and, if necessary, the matter may be referred to a Committee for further debate and a recommendation to the Council, or to a Council officer for a report on the issue.

The person who submits the petition will be advised in writing of the decision of Council in respect to the proposal. It is the responsibility of that person to relay that outcome to the people that signed the petition.

An example of a petition can be downloaded here.