What is the Minister’s Recreational Fishing Advisory Council?

    The Minister’s Recreational Fishing Advisory Council is as an advisory group to directly engage with the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development on recreational fishing issues.

    The Council would provide feedback and advice to government on recreational fishing development issues and initiatives and big picture policies that impact the recreational fishing sector, as well as any other matter referred to the Council by the Minister.

    How will the voting process work?

    Recreational fishers wanting to vote for a candidate will be required to create an account with YourSAy, including completing a short profile form. Users will also be required to verify their email address to ensure they use a genuine email address to which they have access.

    The second stage of the verification process requires the user to log into their account and enter a mobile phone number which will be linked with their account. An SMS code will then be sent to the user, which they need to enter into a form on YourSAy. The mobile phone number can only be connected with one account or email address.

    The order of candidates’ names will be displayed on the YourSAy website in a randomised manner. Voters must record their order of voting preference for at-least five candidates.

    How will votes be counted?

    The voting process to elect five members to the Minister’s Recreational Fishing Advisory Council (MRFAC), via the online voting process, is modelled on the general principles for proportional representation voting.

    The proportional representation vote counting system is designed to ensure that positions are allocated as closely as possible in proportion to the votes received.

    Specifically, MRFAC uses a partial preferential system, which is a voting system similar to the election processes used in local government elections, the Legislative Council and the Senate. However, the process for MRFAC has been modified to ensure that at least one member from each of the following groups is represented:

    • Inland fishers
    • Bait and tackle shop owners
    • Female fishers.

    The counting process was undertaken by Horizon State and verified by the Department of the Premier and Cabinet.

    If you would like to know more about how the votes were counted, please email bettertogether@sa.gov.au.

    Are there any step-by-step instructions on how to vote?

    Yes. You can access the step-by-step guide on how to vote here.

    Why do I need to provide my mobile number before I can vote?

    The validity of the voting process is essential to the democratic engagement of recreational fishers. As such, a robust three-phase voter validation method is being implemented.

    Eligible voters are required to link their mobile phone number to their YourSAy account as part of the multifactor authentication process.

    Can I vote more than once?

    No. Only one vote can be submitted per eligible voter.

    When does the voting process close?

    Voting is open from 18 February 2019 and closes midday 18 March 2019.

    When will the Council's members be announced?

    The members of the Minister’s Recreational Fishing Advisory Council will be announced by April 2019.

    Will the voting process use blockchain technology to securely store my vote?

    In line with the Government’s commitment to supporting blockchain technology in South Australia, the voting process for the Minister’s Recreational Fishing Advisory Council will use blockchain technology and smart contracts to securely record votes.

    What is blockchain?

    Blockchain is an emerging technology that stores records or transactions on a distributed ledger that is tamper-resistant and cryptographically secure.

    Who can I contact if I still have questions

    If you have any questions regarding the Minister’s Recreational Fishing Advisory Council please contact us via: