Mayor & Councillors
Councillors are elected by persons eligible to vote in Dorset and are representatives for the whole community. The next Local Government Election will be held in 2026.
Commissioner for the Dorset Council | Mr Andrew Wardlaw
Minister for Local Government, Hon Nic Street MP has established a Board of Inquiry into aspects of the operation of Dorset Council. The Minister has also made the decision to suspend all councillors (from 11am, 2 August 2023) for the duration of the inquiry, with a Commissioner appointed to administer the Council.
Governor of Tasmania, Her Excellency Barbara Baker AC appointed Mr Andrew Wardlaw as Commissioner for the Dorset Council on Wednesday, 2 August 2023. The Board of Inquiry and suspension of councillors will have no impact on the services delivered by Council, with business continuing as usual. Any decisions or actions required that would usually be undertaken by the Mayor or Councillors will be directed to Commissioner Wardlaw, with all functions and powers of the Council delegated to him during this period.
Commissioner Wardlaw has worked for 20 years in senior roles in local government, including nine years as the General Manager of Burnie City Council.
The Commissioner can be contacted via email commissioner@dorset.tas.gov.au or phone 03 6352 6544 or 0408 766 019.
2022 - 2026 Elected Council
Rear: Cr Mervyn Chilcott, Cr Anna Coxen, Cr Leonie Stein, Cr Beth Donoghue, Cr Jerrod Nichols
Front: Cr Edwina Powell, Deputy Mayor Dale Jessup, Mayor Greg Howard, Cr Kahlia Simmons
NOTE: The Minister for Local Government suspended all Councillors from 11am, Wednesday 2 August 2023 whilst a Board of Inquiry investigation is undertaken.
Local Government - Councillor Code of Conduct
The Local Government Act 1993 (the Act), provides a local government code of conduct framework for Tasmanian councillors. This framework was introduced in 2016 and provides a consistent, effective and enforceable means to address councillor misconduct.
Under the framework, councils are required to adopt a single, statewide Mode Code of Conduct developed in consultation with the local government sector and approved by the Minister for Local Government. Councils are able to apply to make variations to the Model Code, however they must be consistent with the Model Code. Dorset Council reviewed and adopted, without variation, the Model Code of Conduct on 20 February 2023.
Any person can make a complaint under a Council's Code of Conduct. All Code of Conduct Complaints lodged must be in writing and include the information required under Section 28V of the Act, and accompanied by a statutory declaration verifying the accuracy of the information contained within the complaint and the prescribed lodgement fee. Complaints, with all required documentation, must be lodged with the General Manager within six months of the alleged contravention.
The lodgement fee for the 2024/25 financial year is $93.50.
Please find below the Dorset Council Councillor Code of Conduct, the template Complaint Lodgement Form and an Information Sheet for Complainants.
Dorset Council Councillor Code of Conduct - February 2023
Local Government Councillor Code of Conduct Complaint Form (Word Document) - July 2022
Local Government Code of Conduct - Information for Complainants Information Sheet - July 2022
More information on the Local Government Code of Conduct for Tasmanian councillors can be found on the Office of Local Government website here.
Councillor Gifts and Donations Register
As of 1 August 2018, the Local Government Act 1993 requires Council to keep a register of gifts and donations received by councillors. The Office of Local Government has developed a Guideline for Gifts and Donations (August 2019) to assist local government with the application of the gifts and donations requirements in the Local Government (General) Regulations 2015.
Gifts and donations to be reported include any of the following with a value of $50 or more:
- an item;
- a service;
- a loan of money;
- a loan of property; or
- any other benefit
This includes a series of gifts or donations received by the same councillor from the same donor where the total value in a financial year is $50 or more. e.g. a $10 lunch bought for a councillor each week over a period of time.
Dorset Council's Councillor Register was last updated in March 2024 and is reviewed monthly (correct as at 1 July 2024).
The current Register can be viewed below: