Newsletter from Australian council causes confusion over by-election

August 7, 2006 Residents of Kelso, New South Wales - a suburb of Bathurst in the state's Central West - may have been confused by a newsletter sent by the local council giving an incorrect date for the council's by-election.

A by-election was called by the New South Wales State Electoral Office to fill vacancies left by the resignation of councillors Janice McGilcrist and Kath Knowles.

Bathurst Regional Council dispatched a newsletter in Kelso on Friday which gave the date of the by-election as August 8. The information in this newsletter was incorrect - the correct date for the by-election was August 5. Wikinews has been told by some Kelso residents that they thought the date for the by-election must have been changed.

Prior to the newsletter being sent out, residents received only a single flyer informing them of the by-election. Many received the newsletter and were confused, believing that the original flyer must have been incorrect as the newsletter was sent so close to the planned polling day.

As voting is compulsory for council elections, those who did not vote on Saturday may now be liable for a AUD $55.00 fine.

The same newsletter also lists the date for the 2006 Australian Census being held on August 8 as August 9.