Local Government Advisory Board

​​​​​​​​​​​​The Local Government Advisory Board is a statutory body established under the Local Government Act 1995 (The Act) to provide advice to the Minister for Local Government on local government constitutional matters.

It has five members and four deputy members, including members nominated by local government and the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (DLGSC). The Minister appoints the chair of the board and a member from the department, as well as two members from nominations supplied by the Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA) and one member from nominations supplied by Local Government Professionals Western Australia (LG Pro). The board's major function is to assess proposals to change local government boundaries and their systems of representation and then make recommendations to the Minister.

Closed inquiries

Part of Ascot and part of Redcliffe (alternative inquiry)

In January 2017, the Board resolved to conduct a formal inquiry into a proposal to amend the City of Belmont’s district boundary to include a portion of the suburb of Ascot and a portion of the suburb of Redcliffe currently located in the City of Swan.

Outcome

The Minister approved the Board's recommendation to accept the proposal submitted by the City of Belmont to transfer parts of Ascot and Redcliffe from the City of Swan to the City of Belmont. The proposal rationalises the boundary around three industrial lots, two of which are bisected by the current boundary with the City of Swan.

Part of Ascot and part of Redcliffe

In July 2016, the Board resolved to conduct a formal inquiry into a proposal to amend the City of Swan's district boundary to include a portion of the suburb of Ascot and a portion of the suburb of Redcliffe currently located in the City of Belmont.

Outcome

The Minister approved the Board's recommendation to not accept the proposal submitted by the City of Swan to rationalise the boundary around three industrial lots, two of which are bisected by the current boundary.

Hamilton Hill and part of North Coogee Inquiry ("Greater Freo")

In June 2016, the Board resolved to conduct a formal inquiry into a proposal to amend the City of Fremantle's district boundary to include the suburb of Hamilton Hill and a portion of the suburb of North Coogee currently located in the City of Cockburn.

Outcome

The Minister approved the Board's recommendation to not accept the proposal submitted by the Greater Freo community group to amend the City of Cockburn’s district boundary to transfer Hamilton Hill and part of North Coogee from the City of Cockburn to the City of Fremantle.

Wattle Grove inquiry

In October 2015, the Board resolved to conduct a formal inquiry into a proposal to amend the City of Gosnells' district boundary to include part of the locality of Wattle Grove currently located in the Shire of Kalamunda.

Outcome

The Minister approved the Board's recommendation to not accept the proposal submitted by the Wattle Grove electors group to amend the area bounded by Tonkin Highway to the west, Welshpool Road to the north, the Wattle Grove locality boundary to the east and the existing municipal boundary between the Shire of Kalamunda and the City of Gosnells to the south.

Download closed inquiry reports

Board members

  • Ms Marion Blair, OAM, Chair (Nominated by the Minister)
    • Marion Blair was appointed as chair of the Board in September 2018. Her term of appointment concludes in August 2021. Ms Blair was previously a councillor with the City of Mandurah. She is currently President of the Probus Club of Mandurah. In 2015, Ms Blair was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in the General Division for service to local government, to the community of Perth and to women.
  • Ms Mary Adam, Deputy chair (DLGSC staff member)
    • Mary Adam has been a member and deputy chair of the Board since 2013. Her term of appointment concludes in August 2019. Ms Adam currently works as General Counsel with the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries. Ms Adam is also a director on the national board of the Association of Corporate Counsel Australia and vice president of its WA Executive.
  • Cr Karen Chappel, Member (Nominated by WALGA)
    • Karen Chappel has been a member of the Board since 2011. Her term of appointment concludes in August 2021. Cr Chappel was a deputy member of the Board until 2015, after which she was appointed as a member. She was elected to the Shire of Morawa in 2005, and has served as President since 2009. Cr Chappel is Zone President of the Northern Country Zone of WALGA and a WALGA State Councillor. Cr Chappel has a Diploma in Local Government (elected member) and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
  • Mr Anthony Vuleta, Member (Nominated by LGPro)
    • Anthony Vuleta has been a member of the Board since 2016. His term of appointment concludes in August 2019. Mr Vuleta has been the CEO of the Town of Victoria Park since 2014. He was previously President of the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (WA); and is a current Board member of the Public Works Foundation.
  • Cr Russ Fishwick, Member (Nominated by WALGA)
    • Russ Fishwick has been a member of the Board since 2016. His term of appointment concludes in August 2019. Cr Fishwick has been a councillor with the City of Joondalup for 12 years, including two years as deputy mayor. Cr Fishwick is the current chairman of the Mindarie Regional Council. He is also a member of the Australian Institute of Management and Local Government Professionals Association WA.
  • Ms Narrell Lethorn, Deputy member to Mary Adam (department staff member)
    • Narrell Lethorn was appointed as a deputy member of the Board in April 2018. Her term of appointment concludes in August 2021. Ms Lethorn works with the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries. She has a Master of Business Administration, and is on the IPAA Young Professionals advi​sory committee.
  • Mayor Dennis Wellington, Deputy member to Karen Chappel (Nominated by WALGA)
    • Dennis Wellington was appointed as a deputy member of the Board in September 2018. His term of appointment concludes in August 2021. He has been Mayor of the City of Albany since 2011. Mayor Wellington also has board experience with the Great Southern Development Commission, the WALGA Great Southern Zone and the National ANZAC Centre Advisory Group.
  • Ms Francesca Lefante, Deputy member to Anthony Vuleta (Nominated by LGPro)
    • Francesca Lefante has been a deputy member of the Board since 2016. Her term of appointment concludes in August 2019. Ms Lefante was previously the CEO at the City of Bayswater for a period of eight years. Ms Lefante is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
  • Cr Chris Cornish, Deputy member to Russ Fishwick (Nominated by WALGA)
    • Chris Cornish has been a deputy member of the Board since 2016. His term of appointment concludes in August 2019. Cr Cornish has been a councillor with the City of Bayswater since 2011 and is the Deputy Mayor. He currently works as a financial planner. Cr Cornish is a board member of Hampton Senior High School, Treasurer of the Bayswater Childcare Association and has previously served on the Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council.

District boundaries

Under Schedule 2.1 of the Act, proposals to change local government district boundaries can be submitted to the board by the Minister, local governments or electors of an affected local government.

Where the board decides that a proposed district boundary change is not minor, it must conduct formal inquiries giving affected local governments and electors six weeks to make submissions.

The board must consider any submissions received a​nd take specific factors into consideration. When its assessment is complete, the board submits a report to the Minister for Local Government with a recommendation. This may recommend that the proposal be accepted or rejected. The Minister may accept or reject the board’s recommendation but cannot change it.

More information

Telephone 61 8 6552 7300
Email advisoryboard@dlgsc.wa.gov.au

Page reviewed 25 May 2021
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