Thank you to all the candidates who responded with such goodwill to our 2012 Victorian Local Council Elections Candidate Survey!

Over 1500 candidates across 78 electorates were surveyed to ascertain awareness of the issues facing the music industry and music-loving constituents across the state.

We now have an amazing array of responses here for constituents to consider before casting votes. 
Do you know which candidates in your municipality will support music initiatives? Discovering what potential councillors plan to do to support contemporary music in your electorate is just a click away (Click on your electorate to the left to see your electorate’s candidates and their responses).

The survey gave candidates an opportunity to outline any music policies and strategies that they may have and to talk a little about their knowledge of local issues affecting music in their electorates.

Questions asked included:

• What do you consider to be the biggest issues facing musicians and live music venues in your municipality?
• Would you support the development of a council music strategy?
• Are you aware of the 'Agent of Change' issue and how it applies to live music venues? (The agent of change principle determines responsibility for noise management)
• Would you support Music Victoria and its thousands of subscribers in lobbying the state government for the implementation of the Agent of Change to protect live music venues in your area?
• Are you aware of any other regulatory issues that may hinder live music and live music venues in your electorate?
• What initiatives would you consider to support music in your area
• Do you think there is adequate funding for music events and community grants in your municipality?
• Would you support the increased use of council-owned facilities and buildings for musicians to rehearse, record and hold under-age events in?
  

We acknowledge that not all candidates surveyed were willing to participate because of recent changes to the Local Government Act and concerns the Conflict of Interest Laws could see them excluded from future council discussions should they be elected. And a third of candidates failed to provide an email address on which they could be contacted.

Voting in council elections is compulsory. Most councils will hold postal elections and ballot packs will be posted to all registered voters.

Ballots should be completed and returned by the time voting closes at 6pm on Friday 26^th October.

Voters unsure about which electorate they come under can check it out at the Victorian Electoral Commission website: www.vec.vic.gov.au

Check out what’s going down in your electorate! Click the link to your electorate from the list on the left.