Equal Opportunity Tasmania may be asked to do a workplace review of councils following several resignations by female elected members in recent years.
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The matter will be discussed at the Local Government Association of Tasmania's annual conference in August.
The general meeting agenda, released this week, includes a motion from the City of Hobart which calls on LGAT to commission Equal Opportunity Tasmania for the review.
The motion stated several female councillors had resigned from their positions in 2019 due to online bullying and harassment.
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It pointed to a LGAT survey of elected members that showed of the respondents, 60 per cent said they had experienced bullying and harassment and were not clear on legal protections in terms of workplace safety.
More than 40 local government representatives from 16 councils this year signed a joint statement that expressed concern about workplace culture, particularly for women.
The state government in response to the motion said it considered the review would be most appropriately led by the sector.
"This could include a review into the practice and procedure of councils, including the chamber workplace, existing complaints mechanisms, frameworks and any cultural and structural barriers to reporting alleged discrimination or harassment," it said in its response.
The Burnie City Council has submitted a motion for LGAT to investigate the introduction of propositions or referendums for local government and state elections.
It said the Local Government Act at present provided for elector polls, however, these were non-binding.
"It is of course possible, via legislative amendment, to make the outcome of elector polls mandatory, but this would represent a significant change in current legal arrangements," the motion reads.
"At the state level, there is no standing legal mechanism for conducting referenda.
Those conducted in the past have been done through specific legislation."
The state government said it was unclear what this motion sought to implement and why.
"It would be a significant departure from any established Australian legal or democratic framework for issues-based referenda or other forms of public polling to be binding on councils or the Parliament of Tasmania," it said.
The Circular Head Council had proposed a motion that calls for stronger penalties for malicious damage and vandalism to public facilities and infrastructure which has not been supported by the government.
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Political reporter for Australian Community Media, based in Hobart.
Political reporter for Australian Community Media, based in Hobart.
