By JESSE GRAHAM
PRESSURE from Yarra Ranges councillors has prompted Local Government Minister Natalie Hutchins to overturn the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC)’s proposed shift to a three-ward council.
Yarra Ranges mayor Jason Callanan announced on Facebook on Thursday 2 June that the minister had overturned the VEC’s proposed ward change that would have turned the Yarra Ranges’ nine wards into three, each with three councillors.
Cr Callanan said that two wards had “very minor boundary movements” to accommodate population changes.
“There was a great amount of work behind the scenes by councillors, staff and the community,” he wrote.
“Our council structure will remain the same for the next four years!”
The announcement comes after the VEC concluded its review of the council’s electoral structure last year and proposed that the council change to three large multi-councillor wards.
Numerous councillors made submissions against any proposed change as part of the review, with many expressing concerns after the final recommendation was released.
Ryrie Ward councillor Fiona McAllister, who was against the change, said she was “really pleased” with the decision from the minister.
She said Ms Hutchins and Deputy Premier and Monbulk MP James Merlino had “understood” the council’s concerns with the change when meeting with them – particularly the geographic size of the wards.
“It would have been a really significant shift to go to the three-by-three,” Cr McAllister said.
“That model’s been much more successful in the smaller but much denser urban areas in metropolitan Melbourne.
“I can certainly see the benefits of having multi-member wards but I can also see the benefit of retaining the structure we’ve got.”
Cr McAllister said she also had concerns about the changes being so close to the council election at the end of the year.
“To have declared a change of that significance so close to the election would have been really problematic for a lot of people,” she said.
“And also, for the community to get their heads around those significant changes and the voting aspect of it.”
