Overview
Any broadcaster or publisher who runs an advertisement relating to a local government election has disclosure obligations under the Local Government Electoral Act 2011. This includes a requirement to lodge a summary of all electoral advertising they have broadcast or published during the capped expenditure period.
While federal and state elections and referendums have media blackout periods, these do not apply to local government elections in Queensland. The ECQ does not regulate media blackout laws.
Please click on the tabs above to find out about the requirements for broadcasters and publishers.
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Lodging election summary returns
Election summary returns from broadcasters and publishers must be lodged via the ECQ’s Electronic Disclosure System (EDS) and are due within eight weeks after the election. They are a summary of all election campaign advertising that was run on their platform within the election’s capped expenditure period. They must include specific details for each advertisement. See Fact sheet 39 for more information.
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Record keeping and compliance
The ECQ is responsible for administering and enforcing the Local Government Electoral Act 2011, which includes penalties for election participants who breach their disclosure obligations.
Broadcasters and publishers must keep comprehensive and accurate records relating to election advertising for 5 years. They are subject to audit procedures and compliance activities conducted by the ECQ. There are substantial penalties for not complying with record keeping responsibilities and obligations.
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