What are the key areas your council should be focusing on?
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With voter information packs for the 2018 local government elections set to land in the next fortnight, it’s a good time to start thinking.
We’re polling our readers on what the five key issues are for them – but first, some context.
Dorset
Dorset is a geographically large rural council, spread out across 3,249 square kilometres and incorporating 49 registered municipalities. Its largest towns are Scottsdale and Bridport, with much of the area taken up by agricultural land, resulting in a population density of 0.02 people per hectare (compared to 0.47 in Launceston). Notable features include the Derby mountain bike trails, Bridestowe Lavender Estate, and Mt William.
There are 5375 enrolled electors in Dorset, making it the third smallest northern council region by population after Break O’Day and Flinders Island. At the last election it had a voter response rate of 66.54 per cent, against the statewide return rate of 54.58 per cent.
The median age of Dorset residents is 48, with an average of 2.2 people per household, and an even split of males and females.
Who is running?
Fourteen candidates have nominated for the nine councillor positions in Dorset, with three nominations for mayor: current mayor Greg Howard, along with Wendy McLennan and Edwina Powell.
Max Hall, Kerrie Donaldson, Dale Jessup and Leonie Stein have nominated for deputy mayor, and the candidates for alderman are Mervyn Chilcott, Jan Hughes, Murray Lade, Jerrod Nichols, Iain O’Neill, Trevor Charles Priestley, and Terry Smith.
A shake-up at Dorset council is inevitable this year, with four candidates out of eight not re-contesting. Current candidates Steve Arnold, Sheryl Martin, Lawrence Archer and Shaun Moore are taking a step back from local government at the next election.
The current Dorset council is 25 per cent female, while 56 per cent of 2018 candidates are women.
Some key stories
Survey
Now, what are the five most important issues for you? Let us know below.