The Queensland Government is moving forward with plans to extend the next council election date from March 2012 to October of that year, giving Queensland’s 526 local councillors an extra six months in office.

At its annual conference last month, the LGAQ resolved to press for the change after some councils complained about the current election timing.

LGAQ president Paul Bell told the Courier Mail that under the current timetable, newly elected councillors were being expected to immediately handle complex budget deliberations.

Cr Bell said the move would enable councillors to become familiar with council business before bringing down a budget.

It was "grossly unfair to expect newcomers to grasp the implications of their decisions on the broader workings of council", he said.

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