Support and advice for local governments

The department provides support and advisory services to 139 local governments, including 2 Indian Ocean Territories.

Our services aim to improve the capacity of local governments to respond to community demands and expectations, levels of accountability and legislative compliance. 

There are 2 support services available to local government officers and council members — a general advisory line and a financial policy and accounting help desk.  

Members of the public with concerns involving their local government should attempt to resolve them directly with their local government.

Find out more about resolving a concern with your local government 

Local Government Advisory Line

Email lghotline@dlgsc.wa.gov.au
Telephone 1300 762 511
8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday

To allow for an informed response, it is preferred that complex enquiries are made by email in the first instance.

Questions related to long service leave should be directed to the responsible area of the relevant local government, or if a member, to WALGA's Employee Relations service.

Local Government Accounting Helpdesk

Guidelines

LG Alerts

Local government reform webinar 2

Apr 19, 2023, 10:09 AM by User Not Found
The first tranche of reforms to the Local Government Act 1995 is progressing through Parliament.

This first tranche focuses on electoral reform and has been introduced first to ensure the changes will be in effect for the October 2023 ordinary elections.

The first tranche of reforms to the Local Government Act 1995 is progressing through Parliament.

This first tranche focuses on electoral reform and has been introduced first to ensure the changes will be in effect for the October 2023 ordinary elections.

The second tranche of reform is due to be introduced later in 2023.

A key feature of the State Government’s reform agenda is transitioning from first-past-the-post and introducing optional preferential voting in local government elections.

Optional preferential voting will bring local government elections largely in line with the voting system used in State and Federal elections and all other jurisdictions.

Optional preferential voting will prevent the current situation where some councilors are elected with as little as 4.7% of the vote, under the current first-past-the-post voting system.

Optional preferential voting also empowers ratepayers to indicate their preferences for these important local roles.

To find out more about optional preferential voting, including information on how it will be implemented, join us for the second Reform Webinar at 11:00am on 27 April. 

If you missed the first Reform Webinar, including an introduction from the Minister for Local Government,  you can view it on our website.

Page reviewed 28 February 2025
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