General News
23 January, 2023
Local shire one of 39 to undergo electoral structure review
The Central Goldfields Shire is one of 39 shires to undergo an electoral structure review due to non-compliance with the Local Government Act 2020, with the review set to alter the current councillor ward structure. Under the Local Government Act...
The Central Goldfields Shire is one of 39 shires to undergo an electoral structure review due to non-compliance with the Local Government Act 2020, with the review set to alter the current councillor ward structure.
Under the Local Government Act 2020, all small and large rural shire councils must have electoral structure that are either unsubdivided, subdivided with single-councillor wards, or multi-councillor wards with an equal number of councillors per ward.
The Central Goldfields Shire’s current ward structure does not comply with the Act, with four councillors representing the Maryborough Ward and a single councillor representing each of the Paddys Ranges, Tullaroop and Flynn wards.
Across 2023 and 2024, 39 councils will undergo the reviews, which will be conducted by independent advisory panels, with the Central Goldfields’ review to commence next month.
The Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) will provide support to the advisory panels and electoral commissioner Warwick Gately said the reviews will
consider the best electoral structure for the shire moving forward.
“The panels will consider if councils have an appropriate number of councillors and whether they should be one large unsubdivided area or subdivided into wards,” he said.
“If the council will be subdivided, the panel will look at how many wards the council should have, the number of councillors in each ward, ward boundaries and ward names.”
A preliminary report will be published on Wednesday, March 29 ahead of the final report for the Central Goldfields release on Wednesday, May 24, with changes to the electoral structure to take place from the 2024 council elections.
Central Goldfields Shire CEO Lucy Roffey said council would prepare and discuss a submission at its February council meeting.
“Any change that comes as a result of this review won’t have an immediate impact on the shire, but will rather come into place from the 2024 council elections,” she said.
“Anyone can make submissions to this and clearly council will make a submission, which I imagine will be considered at the February council meeting.
“This is not unexpected, there are close to 40 councils set to undergo the same reviews and council staff are available if residents have questions around what the review might mean for them.”
Online information sessions regarding the review of the Central Goldfields Shire will take place on Monday, February 6 from 12 pm and Tuesday, February 7 from 6 pm.
For further information on the review process and for key dates, head to the VEC website at www.vec.vic.gov.au/electoral-boundaries/council-reviews/
electoral-structure-reviews