With the nomination deadline for local council elections less than 24 hours away, it appears that most Western Plains councils don't yet have the candidates to hold an election. 

But that's no cause for alarm according to Warren deputy mayor Sarah Derrett, whose shire at the time of writing - around 5pm on 13 August - has six of the 12 candidates needed to fill all council seats across the shire's four wards.

 "I think definitely we'll get enough," she said.

"This did happen last time where there was a bit of talk at the last minute, thinking that there wasn't going to be enough, and then we ended up having an election in three of the four wards. So we had more than enough in the end."

While candidates appear on the NSW Electoral Commission (NSWEC) website once they register online, Cr Derrett said she knows people nominating using paper forms, meaning the site might not immediately show how many people are actually running.

"You sign up online or through a paper-based version, which might take a little bit longer to go through," she said.

"I think that might be the reason that there's a bit of a lag between filling in the nomination and going through to the website."

Walgett almost has the numbers fielded for a full council. PHOTO: River McCrossen 

Nominations close at 12noon on 14 August.

It was a similar response from Walgett Shire Council, which at the time of writing has candidates running for eight of its nine seats.

A spokesperson for Walgett Shire said the council was not worried about community participation.

"Walgett Shire Council (WSC) will vote for nine councillors on September 14 and we are anticipating that we will have enough candidates," the spokesperson said.

"WSC has never had a problem with public participation and this year is no different. We have a very committed and engaged community and there is a healthy mix of old and new candidates.

"Council has supported the local government elections through proactive means such as media releases, council columns with important dates, and social media posts."

 So far according to the NSWEC website, Narromine has reached nine out of nine candidates needed for a full council.

Bourke has nine of ten, Bogan eight of nine, Cobar nine of 12.

Gilgandra sits at five of nine, Coonamble four of nine.

In Brewarrina Shire, where six of nine council seat are currently contested, Goodooga-based councillor Tommy Stanton said it's been a struggle finding residents to run, although he believes they will still have the numbers for a full council.

IMAGE: Wikimedia

"I've been a councillor for ten years now and when I first run there was 16, 18 that nominated," Cr Stanton said.

"We struggled last elections. I think there was ten candidates.

"There's people that are just not interested. To be honest, I don't know what it is."

The NSWEC told the Western Plains App that if local government areas don't field candidates for all positions by deadline, unfilled positions will go to a by-election.

"If, by 12 noon, nomination day, only the required number of candidates (or less) have been duly nominated for Mayor or for Councillor for a council area or a ward, those candidates will be declared elected unopposed," a NSWEC spokesperson said.

"Where less than the required number of candidates are nominated by 12noon, nomination day, a byelection will be held at a later date to fill any vacancy."

Visit our Local Government Elections button for more information and handy links.