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20-465: The City of Melville is a local government area in the southern suburbs of the Western Australian capital city of Perth , east of the port city of Fremantle and about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) south of Perth's central business district. The City covers an area of 52.73 square kilometres (20.36 sq mi) and had a population of about 98,000 as at the 2016 Census . Melville

40-745: A diverse number of sporting and recreation codes, including, but not limited to: The City maintains a Community Information Directory which can be used to find locations and contact details for 70+ inclusive sporting and recreation clubs operating within the City of Melville. Some of the clubs include: 32°02′20″S 115°49′52″E  /  32.039°S 115.831°E  / -32.039; 115.831 Local government areas of Western Australia There are 137 local government areas (LGAs) in Western Australia , which comprise 27 cities, 102 shires, and 8 towns that manage their own affairs to

60-443: A significant reduction in the number of decisions requiring ministerial approval which allowed for streamlined decision-making and greater local government autonomy. Although successive state governments have periodically promoted municipal amalgamation, only a small number of local governments have merged over the course of Western Australia's history. Historically most local governments have strongly resisted forced amalgamations and

80-536: A tax on private allotments to fund the construction and maintenance of "roads, paths and plantations". As the Colony began to develop, the first form of local government was established in some areas under the Towns Improvement Act of 1838. These trusts were empowered to elect ratepayers as Trustees and assess and collect a property tax for the construction of roads. Many of these town trusts, including

100-562: A voter would get to vote for as many candidates as there are vacancies (known as plurality voting ). Council representation was also changed to align with the population of the district, with council wards abolished for smaller councils. For all larger councils, the mayor or president will now be popularly elected, rather than appointed by councillors. Almost all local elections were conducted via post. Eight councils held in-person elections: Local elections in WA are officially non-partisan , and

120-490: Is directly elected. The suburbs of the City of Melville with population and size figures based on the most recent Australian census : (* indicates suburb partially located within City) There are several significant Noongar sites within the City of Melville precinct. The incumbent Mayor of the City of Melville is Katy Mair, who has held the position since 2023. She defeated previous Mayor George Gear during

140-782: The Indian Ocean Territories Administration of Laws Act , which allows the Western Australian Local Government Act to apply "on-island" as though it were a Commonwealth act. Nonetheless, Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands are not parts of Western Australia. The most recent local government elections were held in 2023 . Land was originally granted in the Swan River Colony under regulations which allowed for land commissioners to assess

160-568: The Greater Perth Movement around this time led to the amalgamation of inner city local governments to create a greatly expanded City of Perth until 1993, when the City was broken up once again. The first local government department was established by the state in 1949 to guide local government authorities. Following the war local governments increasingly expanded their services from property, health and local infrastructure (roads, drainage) to community and social services. This

180-513: The Perth Town Trust , experienced severe administrative and financial difficulties, and in some cases barely functioned at all. The Guildford Town Trust lasted only a couple of years before ceasing to function until it was reconstituted in 1863. The District Roads Act and Municipal Institutions Act , both of 1871 improved matters by allowing for the establishment of Roads Boards and Municipal Corporations. Municipal Corporations had

200-465: The Shire of Cocos (Keeling) Islands are also included for comparison purposes. Federal external territory. Currently, Western Australia has ten regional councils. Each regional council comprises two or more local government areas (LGAs). 2023 Western Australian local elections Electoral reform saw optional preferential voting introduced, and council representation changed to align with

220-586: The 2023 Local Government elections. This is her second term as Mayor, having previously held the position under her married name Katherine Jackson between 1995 and 2007. As of 2024, 172 places are heritage-listed in the City of Melville, of which 24 are on the State Register of Heritage Places , among them Canning Bridge and Wireless Hill Park . The City is home to 23 active reserves, 100+ passive reserves and two leisure centres featuring indoor courts and 50m and 25m indoor heated pools. The City caters for

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240-627: The capacity to levy property taxes, pass municipal by-laws and undertake various local regulatory services previously carried out by colonial officials and other central bodies. Corporations could also establish civic institutions and facilities with the governors' consent, including libraries and botanical gardens. Road Boards where strictly limited to the construction of roads, could not levy property taxes and depended on colonial government grants for any expenditures. Women were permitted to be elected to Road Boards from 1911 and to Municipal Corporations from 1919. The influence of town clerk W.E. Bold and

260-606: The extent permitted by the Local Government Act 1995 . The Local Government Act 1995 also makes provision for regional local governments (referred to as "regional councils", established by two or more local governments for a particular purpose. There are three classifications of local government in Western Australia: The Shire of Christmas Island and the Shire of Cocos (Keeling) Islands are federal external territories and covered by

280-632: The population of the district. Local elections in WA are held periodically, meaning around half of all councillors were not up for election until 2025. Significant electoral reform was introduced into the state parliament by the McGowan government in February 2023. It saw optional preferential voting (used for local and state elections in New South Wales ) introduced, replacing first-past-the-post . Up until 2021 in multi-member wards ,

300-455: The present day. In the 1970s, the scope of local government services expanded to encompass the provision of nursing homes and other forms of aged care. During the late 1980s, and early 1990s a bi-partisan reform process led to the Local Government Act 1995 , which amongst other changes, established for the first time a clear separation of responsibility between elected councillors and local government administration. Other key changes included

320-729: The total number of authorities has declined only marginally over the last century. The most recent state government led effort to encourage the voluntary amalgamation of 30 metropolitan local governments into 16 was abandoned by the Barnett government in 2014. In 2017, the McGowan government initiated a review process to reform the Local Government Act 1995. The 30 metropolitan local government areas (LGAs) comprise 20 cities, 3 shires, and 7 towns. The 107 non-metropolitan local government areas (LGAs) comprise 7 cities, 99 shires, and 1 town . The Shire of Christmas Island and

340-621: The vast majority of candidates and councillors are not members of any political party. The Labor Party confirmed at least 43 of its members were running for council, while the Greens endorsed two candidates. Members of the Animal Justice Party , Australian Christians , Legalise Cannabis Party , No Mandatory Vaccination Party and Western Australia Party also all contested the elections. Liberal Party members ran without endorsement from their party. The election campaigns in

360-462: Was granted town status as the Town of Melville on 28 September 1962, and assumed its current name when it was granted city status on 3 May 1968. The City of Melville maintains 463 km of roads and 2.10 km² of parks and gardens. The City is divided into six wards, each represented by two councillors. Each councillor serves a four-year term, and half-elections are held every two years. The mayor

380-774: Was originally established on 14 December 1900 as the East Fremantle Road District under the Roads Boards Act 1871 . It was renamed the Melville Road District six months later on 14 June 1901. On 20 July 1923, it received a large amount of land from Jandakot Road District when that entity was abolished. On 1 July 1961, it became the Shire of Melville following the enactment of the Local Government Act 1960 , which reformed all remaining road districts into shires. It

400-414: Was termed the “New Order” at the time, and encompassed the development of community centres, infant health clinics and sporting facilities. Only a few cities – Fremantle , Nedlands , Perth , South Perth , and Subiaco  – existed prior to 1961. On 1 July 1961, all road districts became shires, and all municipalities became towns or cities. This structure has continued till

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