Council Jobs in Western Australia: Where They Are and How to Apply

Western Australia's local governments range from small inner-Perth councils to remote shires administering areas larger than some European countries. That range matters when you are job hunting: a planner in a metropolitan council and a planner in the Pilbara do recognisably different work, are paid differently, and are recruited differently.

Current vacancies are on the Western Australia council jobs page.

Where are the jobs in WA?

Three distinct markets:

• Metropolitan Perth: the largest number of roles and the most competition. Development assessment, strategic planning, community services and corporate roles dominate. Councils here are close enough together that moving between them does not mean relocating.
• Regional centres: including the Goldfields and the South West. Broader roles, because a smaller team covers the same statutory functions, which means faster exposure to work you would wait years for in a metropolitan council.
• Remote shires: the Pilbara, Kimberley and inland. The hardest roles to fill and therefore the most likely to come with housing, a vehicle, district allowances and assistance with relocation.

Which skills are WA councils short of?

Consistently: civil engineering and asset management, statutory and strategic planning, building surveying, environmental health, and senior finance. These are the roles most often readvertised, and the ones where a council is most likely to be flexible on the package for the right candidate. Works and operations crews, including plant operators, parks staff and mechanics, are also in steady demand, particularly outside Perth.

What do remote and regional councils offer that metropolitan ones don't?

Because they have to compete for people willing to relocate, regional and remote WA councils commonly advertise some combination of subsidised or provided housing, a vehicle or vehicle allowance, district or location allowances, relocation assistance, and additional leave or travel provisions. These are stated in the advertisement or the position description. Read both, because the total package can differ substantially from the headline salary.

How do you apply for a WA council job?

The process is the same across the state:

1. Download the position description attached to the listing. It sets out the duties, the classification, the qualifications, licences and checks required, and the selection criteria.
2. Address each selection criterion separately with a specific example of your own work. A resume alone is rarely enough.
3. Apply before the closing date shown on the listing.
4. Expect a panel interview against the same criteria, and offers conditional on the checks named in the position description. These are commonly a police check, a driver's licence, and a working-with-children check for roles involving children.

Do you need WA local government experience?

For most roles, no. Technical qualifications and experience carry across from consultancies, contractors and other states, and councils expect to teach the Local Government Act 1995 and their own delegations on the job. Where experience is genuinely required, the position description says so in the essential criteria.

Next steps

Browse current WA vacancies, or look across the state borders on the council jobs page if you are open to relocating. The councils hiring directory lists each council with its own profile page and current roles.