During the 2018 SA Local Government Elections Cr Luci Blackborough ran her first campaign at 18-years-old, winning one of two Hectorville Ward seats on the Campbelltown City Council.
As her first term concludes, we sat down with the Councillor to talk about her experience as a young person in local government and her advice for anyone considering running.
What made you decide to run for local government, generally there’s a lot of things, but were there any specific moments or issues that made you decide to run?
I'll preface this by saying I'm not a single-issue candidate. There wasn't one particular issue, at least in my local council that really motivated me to run, although there are certainly other candidates who do run on a single issue.
My passion for greater representation in all forms of government was my overarching reason for running. I also believe that having a voice for young people and women on council is important, and I acknowledge that there's still a way to go in terms of representation of gender diverse, culturally diverse people and First Nations people in all forms of government.
I specifically turned my attention to the most grassroots form of politics, after completing a 2-year school-based traineeship at the City of Unley. Local government was the most interesting to me because it's known for being the least illuminating for young people. After being on Council, I don't think this is necessarily a true stereotype.
So, once you’d decided that you were going to run, what was the nomination and election process like?
There was a lot of um-ing and ah-ing because there's a lot that goes into running a campaign, and it can be overwhelming. It requires a lot of self-confidence, commitment, and self-belief and I'd say for most people, that's hard, especially when there’s not a consistent feedback loop throughout the campaign. Apart from speaking to people, you've got little way to gauge how well positioned you are in the election.
Organisations like the Local Government Association of SA as well as ECSA, do their best to try and make the process accessible, but because of the way local government is structured, there's still a big learning curve. It's frustrating how inflexible some of the processes are, particularly as a young person who really likes optimisation and the ease of accessibility. Last election, you had to submit a physical nomination and printed candidate photo, and in 2018 that was mind-blowing to me that you're still submitting printed documents, it seems archaic.
I'm really glad to say that there have been some reforms in the way you nominate, so it’s an online portal now (albeit with a lot of teething issues). It's still definitely not where I would like it to be, but it’s a step in the right direction. I'm grateful that I know what to expect to an extent, but it’s daunting for a first-time candidate.
I would encourage anyone interested in running to attend a face-to-face briefing rather than just reading online documents. You can get lost in lots of reading and technical terms but to talk through it with someone, as well as being able to ask questions, is very useful.
Campaigning is gruelling and it's a lot of hard work, especially on such a grassroots level it looks very, very different to the way someone would run for state or federal election. Letterbox drops and door knocking are two of the most important things to a successful campaign – but they’re also time-consuming and can be confronting. Honing your communication and social skills is essential for success. It's hard work, but it's rewarding to speak to people about local government and how we can make our community better.
You meet such a wide variety of people while campaigning. There are plenty of tireless, hardworking community leaders and volunteers; even other candidates that have different points of view to yours.
There are issues that come with campaigning though: safety issues, accessibility problems for someone who perhaps isn’t as mobile; and it’s fairly time consuming. If you work full time or have other commitments, especially in the optimal hours for door knocking, it can make it quite challenging.
It’s also a self-funded campaign, which can present as a financial disadvantage for people to run for local government. I think we should be open and transparent about the investment required. Last election I spent several thousands of dollars on my campaign across all expenses, which admittedly included corflutes (that are now banned at the local government level). Your odds of being elected will also vary, in Hectorville Ward there were two positions with six candidates contesting in 2018, so the odds were not impossible, but low.
It’s important to note that you can only claim election expenses back on tax, and it's capped at $1000. Mind you, this is only if you're elected. This area definitely needs reform, you should be able to claim expenses regardless of whether you're successful or not.
Do you think that your experience in campaigning, particularly around door knocking, was different to other candidates as a young person?
Door knocking was OK, I had a largely positive experience. At worst, people would say they weren’t interested in talking. Make sure you pick the right areas in your ward, too – it helps to speak to engaged community members!
I brought my dad with me for some of my door knocking, and he would just stand at the fence of the property, although another presence can make people uncomfortable. Teaming up with another candidate who I had a preference agreement with, as well as then candidate Mayor Jill Whittaker, was beneficial. Having another person who's actually at the door speaking with you creates a really good dynamic where you can bounce off each other.
The optics of ‘getting out and about’ as a young person are definitely worth planning for.
Since being elected, what has your experience been like on Council as a young person? Are there other young people on your Council?
When I was first elected, I was a little defensive and hyperaware of my age, and I didn't want to be treated any differently to other elected members. After four years and a lot of growth and self-reflection, I think that perhaps wasn’t a realistic expectation. I am a young person, and there's nothing wrong with having the perspective of a young person. It's only natural that your experiences and your point of view are going to be very different to the other elected members, purely by separation of age, similar to any other demographic. As long as you embrace your age, the experience and act in the best interests of the community, young people can greatly contribute to the council area.
Advice I’d give to my younger self is that you don't need to work so hard to act like other elected members. For many people in local government, you're not usually a member of a political party, and you're not affiliated with a faction, so you’re there as an individual and backing yourself up with your own opinion and moral compass. This will give the most value to the council and to the people you're representing.
The second youngest member of Campbelltown Council is a woman in her mid-30s. I believe everyone else is 40 and above. There are a few other young elected members in other SA councils, or people who were first elected when they were very young, but I would still say it's still an older demographic across the sector.
Last election, Campbelltown Council had a significant turnover. The Council went from having two women, to six, including our mayor. So that's six out of 11, forming a majority. There's certainly a more representative group than the last Council in terms of background and age.
Is there any other advice you'd give your pre-elected self? Or maybe anyone thinking about running whether that’s in this election or the next one?
My advice, be honest and clear about what your intentions are. There's certainly an element of self-fulfilment in all tiers of politics, and it's OK to acknowledge that, but a sense of altruism and wanting to make our community a better place should drive your decision to run.
It's funny, a lot of people see young people running in local government and assume they’re there to use it as a stepping stone, a rung on the ladder in a political career. Goodness, plenty of our state or federal politicians have, which is OK, but I think we need to be honest, age –and youth –does not necessarily influence political ambition.
Make sure you have a really good support network around you. Rely on family, friends, other loved ones, and absolutely foster connections with other candidates nominating for different positions. Should you need it, counselling or speaking to someone trusted (and separate to council) can help with personal growth, and provide good perspective.
And, if you are elected, the ability to work with other elected Members successfully as a team, is so vital to achieving productive outcomes for the community. Making sure you're a big team player is really important, but also look out for your community’s needs at the same time.
What's next for you? Are you running for another term, and if so, what are the top issues on your agenda?
I am running again, and it's still daunting to prepare for another election, but I'm excited to give it another shot.
There's not one particular issue on my agenda and I think that's probably what, in my honest opinion, what makes a good elected Member. It helps to have a balanced view of the priorities for the community. If you’ve run on a single issue, once you’re elected you may find it's not realistic to change it; or once you've achieved it, you’re left without direction.
I'm standing for a progressive, change-minded approach, encouraging unity across generations in Campbelltown. Maintaining our environment is important, so is being prepared for natural disasters, and managing sustainable development and the subsequent strain it places on infrastructure. I am also mindful that many people are feeling financial pressure with the significant rise in the cost of living. As cliché as it may be, spending funds wisely, investing in the right community projects, and making sure residents get good value for money from their council is really important to me.
A lot of people think councils are just a money-pit but I would encourage you, before making such an assumption of your local council, research what the offering is, have a look on their website, go to a council meeting. As someone who has a really good understanding of what council offers, I firmly believe we do offer great value for money for our rate payers and I hope that can continue, and hopefully I’ll have the support of my community to do so.
