The Local Government Advisory Board (Board) is a statutory body established under the Local Government Act 1995 (the Act) to advise the Minister for Local Government (the Minister) on local government constitutional matters.
This includes the assessment of proposals to change local government boundaries, amalgamations and their ward and representation of local governments.
After consideration, the Board will then make a recommendation to the Minister to reject or accept the proposal.
Membership
The Board consists of five members appointed by the Minister.
Members are required to be persons who, in the opinion of the Minister, have knowledge and experience relevant to local government.
The Minister designates:
- one member to be the chairperson of the Advisory Board; and
- one member to be deputy chairperson of the Advisory Board.
There is also a deputy for each of the positions other than the Chairperson.
A person can only be appointed as a deputy for a member if they are eligible to be appointed to the office of that member.
The Board receives administrative support from LGIRS.
Local Government Advisory Board members
As at 12 August 2026
Chairperson, Ms Carol Adams OAM
Term ends 31 August 2027
Deputy Chairperson, Ms Bianca Sandri - former City of Stirling Councillor and former City of Nedlands Commissioner
Term ends 31 August 2029
Member, Mr Anthony Vuleta — City of Kalamunda, Chief Executive Officer
Term ends 31 August 2026
Member, Cr Russ Fishwick — City of Joondalup, Councillor
Term ends 31 August 2026
Member, Cr Caroline Knight — City of Mandurah, Councillor
Term ends 31 August 2027
Deputy to the deputy Chairperson, Ms Alison Xamon — City of Vincent, Mayor
Term ends 31 August 2029
Deputy to Anthony Vuleta, Ms Joanne Abbiss — City of Armadale, Chief Executive Officer
Term ends 31 August 2026
Deputy to Russ Fishwick, Cr Robert Schmidt – City of Rockingham, Deputy Mayor
Term ends 31 August 2029
Deputy to Caroline Knight, Cr Jannah Stratford — Shire of Koorda, President
Term ends 31 August 2027
Changes to local government district boundaries and amalgamations
Proposals to change local government boundaries and for amalgamations are governed by Schedule 2.1 of the Act.
Under Schedule 2.1 of the Act, proposals to change local government district boundaries can be submitted to the Board by the Minister, local governments or electors of an affected local government.
Proposals initiated by electors require at least 10 per cent of electors or 250 electors to sign a petition for a proposal to be considered valid.
In practice, it is uncommon for the Minister to initiate this process, as WA traditionally favours a collaborative and consultative approach to boundary amendments and amalgamations.
While some boundary changes may be deemed minor and not require public consultation, this typically applies to situations where a small portion of land is to be transferred from one local government to another and has the agreement of all parties (for example boundary realignment where it splits a single property).
Where the board decides that a proposed district boundary change is not minor, it must conduct a formal inquiry giving affected local governments and electors six weeks to make submissions.
The board must consider any submissions received and assess it against the legislation. This includes the matters listed in the Act, which the Board has further elaborated on in its LGAB Guiding Principles document.
When its assessment is complete, the Board submits a report to the Minister for Local Government with a recommendation, either recommending that the proposal be accepted or rejected. The minister may accept or reject the Board’s recommendation but cannot change it.
It is important that local governments note a 31 January cut off in election years, to give proposals the best chance of being in place for the election.
Further information on how to make a valid proposal to the Board is included in guiding documentation below.
- Making a submission for a district boundary change (includes Form 1 for petitions for boundary changes and Form 2 for requesting a poll)
- LGAB Guiding Principles
Examples of past reports
Changes to local government ward boundaries and elected member representation
Proposals to change ward boundaries or the number of elected members fall under schedule 2.2 of the Act.
The Board considers the outcome of these reviews and ensures that the local governments have complied with the Act.
Under schedule 2.2 local governments with wards must conduct reviews of ward boundaries of representation at least once every ten years in consultation with their communities.
Local governments may initiate reviews more regularly, or a submission can be made to a local government by affected electors who are at least 250 in number of are at least 10 per cent of the total number of affected electors.
In submitting a proposal, the proponent must demonstrate that it has considered the matters prescribed under clause 8 of schedule 2.2.
The Board notes that the majority of ward and representation reviews will not be considered as ones of a minor nature and most proposals will necessitate a six-week consultation period.
The Board must recommend to the Minister any proposal that, in its opinion, correctly takes account of the criteria in the documents below. The Minister may accept or reject the Board's recommendation but cannot change it.
Documents to assist proponents with ward and representation reviews:
- Reviewing Ward Boundaries and Representation – Overview (includes Form 3 - Community submission about changes to names, wards or representation)
- Ward and or representation review — template submission to Advisory Board
- A Guide for Local Governments: How to conduct a review of wards and representation for local governments with and without a ward system
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