WA’s Busselton council has been pushed to consider revoking vaccine mandates. 

Enough support has been gathered among ratepayers to force a special electors’ meeting in the City of Busselton next week. 

The public notice for the meeting says it will ask the council to declare Busselton a “pro-choice community”, and to ask Premier Mark McGowan to revoke state government-imposed mandates.

Busselton Mayor Grant Henley says he has concerns about the meeting.

“There are calls already on social media for it to be a rallying point for those who oppose the vaccination mandates, for whatever reason, and we could have a crowd of hundreds, if not thousands, of people,” he said.

“The impact that's going to have on the resources of police to ensure that it's orderly [is considerable], we don't have that capacity, but also potentially the health system [will be impacted] should it be a [COVID-19] spreader event.

“I really don't want to be responsible for that.”

WA’s City of Fremantle last month voted against an anti-mandate petition at an ordinary council meeting, causing hundreds of protesters to chant “shame” from outside the building.

The Local Government Act requires councils to hold a special electors' meeting if more than 100 electors or 5 per cent of the population request one.

Cr Henley has asked Local Government Minister John Carey for “clarification and guidance” on the upcoming meeting. 

“I think there are other options,” the mayor said.

“We could meet a delegation representing the concerns of these members of the community.

“I think the desired outcome [of the requesters of the special electors' meeting] is that we abolish mandates within the City of Busselton, although I'm not sure how under the Local Government Act that could be achieved.

“It is state direction that we are all compelled to comply with.”

WA Premier Mark McGowan has previously stated that the vaccine mandates covering about 75 per cent of the WA workforce will stay in place “for a very long time while I'm the Premier”.

WA Local Government Association Acting President Karen Chappel says the Local Government Minister should consider holding special electors meetings online to minimise the spread of COVID.

“As to the topic of discussions at a special electors meeting, any topics or decisions raised or discussed at the meeting are not binding upon the local government,” she said. 

“The results of a special electors meeting then goes to a council meeting for consideration.

“Members of the community who might be concerned with state government directions or policy need to raise these issues with their local Member of Parliament.”