Local Government is an elected system of government directly accountable to the local community. All of the elected representatives, known as councillors, work together to provide good governance for the benefit of the local community.

Council election

Under the Local Government Act 1993, council elections are held on the second Saturday in September every four years. By-elections are conducted periodically when a vacancy occurs.

Voting is compulsory.

Next general election

A general election for the Northern Beaches will be held on Saturday 14 September 2024 between 8am and 6pm.

On 18 October 2022, Council resolved (315/22) that the NSW Electoral Commission will administer the election of the Northern Beaches Council. 

Composition

• 15 councillors (three councillors in each of the five wards)
• 5 wards (Pittwater, Frenchs Forest, Manly, Curl Curl, and Narrabeen). View the Ward map. 

The mayor is elected by the Council (two-year term).

Candidate Information Session

Are you interested in standing in the local government elections? You are welcome to come along to a candidate information session to find out all you need to know about how to register as a candidate, as well as valuable insights as to what it means to be a Northern Beaches Councillor.

Electoral roll

Residential roll

When you enrol to vote in Federal or State elections you will automatically be included on the residential roll for the ward or council area you live in.

Check your enrolment

Non-residential roll

The non-residential roll provides people who are non-resident owners, occupiers, and rate paying lessees of rateable land, an opportunity to have a say in who is elected to council. You may be eligible to vote as a non-resident in a ward.

You must be eligible to vote in Federal or State elections to be on a non-residential roll. Your eligibility must be based on land within the council area and must not only be used as a car park.

To be on the roll of non-resident owners of rateable land, you must be:

• The sole owner of the rateable land, or
• Nominated as the elector by the joint or several owners of the rateable land, or
• Nominated as the elector by the corporation or trustees who owns the rateable land, or
• The lessee of the land from the Crown and the land is rateable Crown land.

To be on the roll of occupiers and rate-paying lessees, you must be:

• The sole occupier or ratepaying lessee of rateable land, or
• Nominated as the elector by the joint or several occupiers or ratepaying lessees of the rateable land, or
• Nominated as the elector by the corporation of trustees who occupy or are the ratepaying lessee of the rateable land and have the legal right to occupy the land, or be responsible for paying all or part of the rates on the land for three years following the date you apply to be on the roll.

Applications to be included on the non-residential roll must be received by Council's Chief Executive Officer by 6pm (AEST) on Monday 5 August 2024.

1. Application form for nomination of an elector by joint/several, corporate or trustee owners, occupiers or ratepaying lessees
2. Application form for individual owners, occupiers and ratepaying lessees

The roll of non-residential owners and the roll of occupiers and ratepaying lessees for the 2024 election is available for public view on request. Please contact governance@northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au if you wish to make an appointment.

Helpful links

• NSW Electoral Commission
• Office of Local Government