Petitions
A petition is a formal written document, signed by a number of people, which requests action in relation to an issue. Petitioning is one of the traditional ways in which people can make a request directly to Council in relation to an issue over which Council has some influence.
The Petitions to Council Policy applies to all petitions forwarded to Shoalhaven City Council, including those forwarded directly to a Councillor or the CEO.
For more details on this process and how to draft and submit a petition view:
Frequently asked questions
Who can send petitions?
Any member of the community may organise, sign or submit a petition.
Each petition must clearly state the name and contact details of the person (and where relevant the organisation they are representing) who is submitting the petition to Council.
Rules for petitions
The following categories or petitions will be considered by Council:
- Matters relating to Council’s assets, operations and responsibilities.
- Matters which affect Shoalhaven City Council or the Shoalhaven community, and where Council is in a position to exercise some degree of influence
Petitions that relate to objections to environmental planning applications or to a planning decision that has already been made by Council are excluded, because other avenues already exist for those concerns to be addressed.
We will also not accept petitions that are about a planning decision that has already been determined by Council, or that are about the same or a similar issue for which Council has considered another petition in the past 12 months.
A petition document must contain:
- A clear statement identifying the subject matter and the action requested
- The name and contact details of the person (and where relevant the organisation they are representing) who is submitting the petition to Council
- An accompanying statement summarising the intent of the petition and specifying the number of signatories
- A minimum of four signatories from different households
Hardcopy petitions
A template is provided for hard-copy petitions.
View:
Online petitions
Petitions hosted on online engagement platforms will be accepted as long as they meet the requirements of a valid petition.
Petitions that do not meet these guidelines may not be considered by Council.
How to submit a petition
You can send a petition to Council addressed to the Chief Executive Officer by:
It can also be sent to a Councillor with a request that they consider tabling the petition at a Council meeting.
View:
Mayor and Councillors page
What happens after a petition is sent?
Petitions containing 500 or more signatures that meet the above criteria may trigger a report from the Chief Executive Officer to a future meeting of Council.
Where a petition relates to a current consultation process, including planning and development matters on which the Council has not made final determination, the petition will be considered as a group submission to that process.
A petition about a Development Application received during its public exhibition will be considered as a submission to the exhibition.
All other petitions received of fewer than 500 signatures will be treated as general correspondence to the Council.
Access to information and privacy
Petitions usually contain personal information such as signatures, addresses and contact details. Information contained in petitions will be managed in accordance with Council’s Privacy Management Plan and requests for access petitions will be considered in accordance with the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA Act) and the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (PPIP Act).
Council may contact individuals who have signed the petition for reasons which may include:
- To clarify community sentiment
- To arrange a community forum
- To provide correspondence about the subject matter of the petition they signed
Contact us