Tasmania will go to October’s council elections with 50 fewer councillors, after a major local government overhaul passed state parliament late last week.
The Legislative Council passed the Local Government Amendment (Targeted Reform) Bill 2026 with amendments on Thursday.
The bill cuts councillor numbers and lifts allowances – changes the government calls overdue, but which the Greens and a string of councils opposed as a hollowing-out of local democracy.
Under the reforms, Tasmania’s five biggest urban councils will each have nine elected members and all other councils will have seven.
The smallest councils can apply to have fewer.
Local Government Minister Kerry Vincent in March said the changes would cut 50 councillors “while supporting allowances that better reflect contemporary council functions and at no net additional cost”.
Allowances will rise, set according to each council’s size and responsibilities.
Vincent told parliament last week the reforms were among the most significant for the sector in decades.
“These changes represent some of the most important structural reforms for local government in Tasmania since 1993,” he said.
Greens MLC Cassy O’Connor opposed the cuts, arguing they would shrink representation and diversity on councils.
“How does it lift the professionalism of the sector if you’re cutting numbers and you’re discouraging people from running?” she said.
O’Connor said councils large and small had objected, naming Devonport, West Tamar, Central Highlands, Huon Valley, Burnie, Derwent Valley, Waratah-Wynyard and Northern Midlands.
“We’re being asked to gut local government representation and diversity with no foundation of proper community consultation,” she said.
Vincent rejected that, saying most councils backed the final position.
He said 14 of 23 council submissions were supportive, eight opposed and one neutral.
The changes are expected to take effect for the October 2026 elections.
The lower house is due to consider the upper house amendments when it returns in August.
