Rural Vic councils in for a shakeup

Could there be less Northern Grampians councillors from 2024?

Ratepayers in Buloke, Yarriambiack, Gannawarra and Northern Grampians shires are among those being asked to have their say and even map new boundaries for their wards for October 2024 elections.

The Victorian Electoral Commission is subjecting the shires - among 12 in rural Victoria and 39 across the state - to the process that could abolish wards altogether.

The north-western Victorian shires all have ward structures. Buloke Shire Council has three wards and 7 councillors in total. Gannawarra has four wards, two of which have one councillor and the others having two or more. Northern Grampians also has four, with between one to three councillors representing each ward. Yarriambiack has three wards, one with three councillors and the others including Hopetoun with two.

Victorian Labor amendments to the Local Government Act 2020 require that rural councils must either have one 'ward' for the whole council area, single-councillor wards or multi-councillor wards with an equal number of councillors per ward.

None of Buloke, Yarriambiack, Gannawarra or Northern Grampians comply with that directive, hence the review.

Electoral Commissioner Warwick Gately said last Thursday:

"‘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

"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."

People interested in making a submission can map their proposed boundaries using the public submission tool available on the VEC website at vec.vic.gov.au/electoral-boundaries/council-reviews/electoral-structure-reviews.

Gannawarra mayor Charlie Gillingham said:

"The panel will consider all submissions received and the requirements of the law to propose options for the council’s structure in a preliminary report, which is to be released on Wednesday, 15 March.

"Residents will also be able to provide feedback regarding the preliminary report, which will assist the panel with the development of the final report."