Local government is the closest level of government to the community and the decisions made at this level shape the places and spaces we use every day.

From roads and rubbish collection to parks, libraries, development and community services, councils play a central role in creating liveable, connected communities. Whether you’re enjoying your local park, visiting a café or using community facilities, council decisions are part of your everyday life.

The 2026 Council Elections are your opportunity to have a say in the future of Gawler.

You can nominate for a position on council regardless of qualifications, religion, race, gender, experience or profession. In fact, councils encourage nominations by people from diverse backgrounds to ensure that a wide range of views are being represented.

In South Australia there are around 700 council members who are as diverse as the reasons that motivated them to stand for election.

If you consider yourself to be invested in the future of the Gawler community, willing to learn and participate, and prepared to contribute strategically to decision making processes that benefit the broader Gawler community, then you should explore what it takes to be a councillor and nominate for council elections.

Authorised by CEO Chris Cowley, 43 High Street Gawler East SA 5118

Want to know more about the Town of Gawler Council?

If you’re thinking about standing for Council, it’s a good idea to get a feel for how meetings work. You can do this by:

• Attending a Council Meeting in person
• Watching a live Council Meeting or a recorded meeting on our YouTube channel

Meetings are held in the Council Chamber, Gawler Civic Centre, 89-91 Murray Street, Gawler. Special meetings are called as required to transact business.

Meetings are open to the public - and the public will only be excluded when considered proper and necessary i.e. the need for confidentiality outweighs the principle of open decision making.

Agendas for meetings are required to be available to each Member of Council at least three (3) clear days prior to a meeting. Agendas (excluding confidential agendas) will be uploaded to the website as soon as practicable following Council Members being provided a copy of the meeting agenda.

Minutes of meetings must be provided to each Member of Council within five (5) days after meetings. Minutes (excluding confidential minutes) will be made publicly available on the website as soon as possible after Council Members have been provided a copy of the meeting minutes.

ECSA and the Local Government Association of SA also have resources available to inform candidates about the elections process on their joint webpage councilelections.sa.gov.au.