Petitions

For a document to be classified as a petition, it must:

• be signed by at least 20 people
• be in writing (not pencil), typed or printed
• contain the request of the petitioners or signatories
• clearly state the full name and address of every signatory
• be signed by the persons whose names and addresses are appended to it
• contain a clear description of the purpose of the petition

Where a petition contains more than one page, each page must contain the signature of at least one petitioner or writer, be headed with the details of the request and end with what action is requested.

The Council will consider and make a decision on all accepted requests. The only time the Council cannot make a decision is on matters that are beyond its powers, as set out within the Local Government Act.

The petition must nominate to whom a reply may be sent, and if no person is nominated, the Council will reply to the first or any person whose signature appears on the submission. The Council will not reply to every person on the petition.

• Ensure the document is signed by a minimum of 20 people
• Have a detailed description of the request of the Council. The request must be on the top of each page of the document and end with the action required
• Each page must contain the signature of at least one petitioner or writer
• Clearly state the full name and address of every signatory
• The petition should be legibly written or typed
• It should be in plain English or accompanied by an English translation certified to be correct
• It should not contain any alterations
• Should be written in a manner that is courteous and moderate and should not be disrespectful to the Council or individuals
• No person may fraudulently sign a petition

No one can sign on behalf of another person, except in the case of incapacity or sickness. The petitioner who is not able to sign, should make a mark in the presence of a witness and the witness must sign the petition as a witness and include his or her name and address, and the name and address of the petitioner.

A petition may be submitted to Council via hardcopy or through electronic means, provided they meet the essential criteria.

Hardcopy petitions can be delivered to the Council in person or by post to the Council office or to any Councillor. The Council office is located at 90 Welsford Street, Shepparton and the postal address is Locked Bag 1000, Shepparton Vic 3632.

Electronic petitions can be emailed to Council at council@shepparton.vic.gov.au.

The Chief Executive Officer shall list all petitions received on the agenda of the next Scheduled Council Meeting. The listing shall include a description of the purpose of the petition and the number of signatories to it. However, the petition itself will not be attached to the Agenda or Minutes of the Council Meeting due to personal information contained within. 

Unless the Council agrees to deal with the matter earlier, no decision may be made on any petition until the next Scheduled Council Meeting after that at which it has been presented.

Yes, where a Councillor presents a petition on behalf of the petitioner or writers, that Councillor must understand the purpose of the petition and that it does not contain language disrespectful to the Council or individuals.

Yes, a petition template can be found by clicking on the link below.

No, the template has been provided for your convenience. If you wish to use or design your own petition, please ensure the document has all of the required information on it that the Council defines as a petition.