Councillors across Victoria have shared their experiences working in the local government sector as part of the 2025 VLGA Victorian Councillor Census.
Now in its second year, the Victorian Local Governance Association (VLGA) Census captures and tracks councillor demographics, attitudes and the key challenges to local governance over time.
Building on the success of the inaugural Census in 2024, the VLGA invited all serving Victorian councillors to participate in the 2025 Census last October.
To ensure consistency, and the anonymity of respondents, the VLGA again commissioned QDOS Research to manage and collect the data.
VLGA CEO, Kathryn Arndt said the Census had been well received by the local government sector in Victoria.
“More than half of the councillors elected in Victoria participated in the 2025 Census, with a total of 329 responses received.”
“This strong engagement rate reflects the value councillors place on having their voices heard and the role it plays in shaping the sector moving forward.”
This year, the VLGA refined and expanded the scope of the Census to ensure it captured key data gaps, particularly in relation to understanding the cumulative impact of incivility, growing personal pressures and constrained council resources.
“By capturing the different dimensions of the councillor experience, the Census allows us to deepen our understanding of the role and provides a stronger evidence base to inform advocacy, policy and program development,” Ms Arndt said.
The 2025 Census also explored the differences in experiences between first term and returning councillors. Capturing this distinction was of particular significance, given that 57 per cent of councillors elected in the 2024 Victorian Local Government Election were first-time councillors.
Ms Arndt said the VLGA remained steadfast in its commitment to support councillors in delivering strong, diverse and effective community representation, all underpinned by good governance.
“The Census findings provide tangible insights, oversight and direction to inform our program of work and ensure the events and programs we deliver reflect the lived experience of councillors.”
“The success of last year’s census has reinforced the important role it plays in influencing and leading important conversations across the Local Government sector.
One of the most significant findings of this year’s Census was the level of Incivility being experienced across the sector.
Bullying and non-sexual harassment from the public was experienced by 25% of male councillors and more than 50% of women councillors.
The Census also revealed women councillors are twice as likely to receive higher hostility than male councillors.
The findings also highlighted that the rules and regulations imposed by other levels of government, and limited financial resources, were the two key barriers councillors reported as constraining councils power to achieve outcomes.
“This latest data will be used by the VLGA and government to inform policy and sector related discussions in order to enhance the outcomes councillors deliver for the communities they represent, as well as improve the working landscape for elected representatives.” Ms Arndt said.
Other key findings from the 2025 VLGA Victorian Councillor Census include:
- The average age of a councillor is 54 years old.
- 74% of councillors are employed and either work full time, part time or run their own business, in addition to undertaking councillor responsibilities.
- Councillors spent on average 39 hours a week on council-related activities in the first-year of this term.
For the full report click here
The Census is part of the VLGA’s continuing commitment to support councillors on their journey to be successful community representatives in their municipalities. The Census will continue to be conducted annually.
The data from this year’s Census has already been used to inform the VLGA’s program of work in the year ahead.
This includes the expansion of the VLGA’s community leadership programs to encourage more informed candidates to stand in the 2028 Victorian Local Government Election, the certification of our four-year mandatory Councillor Professional Development Program which directly aligns with the Victorian Government mandatory requirements, and the establishment of a dedicated support and mediation service (similar to an Employee Assistance Program) for councillors.