Acting Mayor
20B Acting Mayor
A Council may appoint a Councillor to be the Acting Mayor when—
the Mayor is unable for any reason to attend a Council meeting or part of a Council meeting; or
S. 20B(1)(b) amended by No. 42/2026 s. 6.
the Mayor is incapable of performing the duties of the office of Mayor for any reason, including illness or an initial candidacy period; or
the office of Mayor is vacant.
An appointment under subsection (1) must be for a period specified by the Council.
If—
an appointment has not been made under subsection (1) or has expired; and
any of the circumstances specified in subsection (1)(a), (b) or (c) apply—
the Council must appoint a Councillor to be the Acting Mayor for a period specified by the Council.
An Acting Mayor—
must perform the role of the Mayor; and
may exercise any of the powers of the Mayor—
until the circumstances specified in subsection (1) no longer apply or the period of the appointment expires, whichever first occurs.
If an Acting Mayor has been appointed, unless inconsistent with the context or subject matter, a reference in this Act (except in sections 20 and 23, Division 4 of this Part and sections 61(6) and 236(4)) to the Mayor includes a reference to the Acting Mayor.
This Act’s bill:Explanatory memorandumSecond reading speech
The statute text is free to read above. View subscription options to unlock the case-law research tools for each provision.