Petition to Council

Petitioning is one of the traditional ways members of the community can have their say and make requests direct to Council.

A petition is a formal, written request signed by a minimum of 10 people, used to lobby a law-making body such as local government.

The signed petition is presented to the relevant body, such as Council, to persuade them to take particular action.

Eligibility criteria for petitions

Petitions to Council must meet the following eligibility criteria:

  • the petition must be prepared in the adopted template(PDF, 45KB) and comply with the general standards
  • the principal petitioner must reside within the Moreton Bay region
  • only Queensland residents are acceptable signatories.

Petitions which do not meet the eligibility criteria will not be accepted. This includes petitions received via other online platforms.

Petitions must adhere to the following general standards and must:

  • be about a matter which the Council has the power to act
  • contain a cover page detailing the request, suggestion or grievance and the name of the principal petitioner. It should be noted that the name of the principal petitioner will be made available on Council’s website (once the petition has been tabled)
  • be written or printed in English and contain page numbers on each page (e.g. 1 of 5, 2 of 5 ...)
  • be conveyed in a clear and concise manner (free from erasures or alterations)
  • not contain language which is defamatory, offensive, or likely to be offensive to any member of the public
  • not breach the privacy of others
  • be signed by at least 10 people (who are residents of Queensland), clearly stating their name and address.

Council reserves the right to review any submitted petitions to ensure compliance.

Documents which do not meet the eligibility criteria and general standards will be received as an item of correspondence and will be dealt with in accordance with the relevant Council policy, directive, procedure or guideline.

Addressing and lodging the petition

The petition should be addressed to either the relevant Divisional Councillor or the Chief Executive Officer and be sent:

Actioning the petition

The petition will be assessed for eligibility and if eligible, the relevant Divisional Councillor will table the petition at a Council General Meeting. In accordance with Council's Meeting Procedure, the petition may be received and referred to the relevant area of Council for investigation and report to Council, if required.

Notification of decision

The principal petitioner will be advised in writing of the petition being tabled following the relevant General Meeting, and will be provided with a response to the petition following investigation. A copy of the response will also be provided to the Council for information, as part of a following General Meeting agenda.

Petitioning other levels of government