Electoral review

By Kath Gannaway
YARRA Ranges residents will have an opportunity to make submissions on the preliminary report into the electoral review of the shire.
The review is being undertaken by the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) and addresses issues such as the number of councillors and ward boundaries.
Public information sessions held in Upwey and Lilydale in August were attended by fewer than a dozen members of the public indicating, perhaps, that ratepayers are happy with the status quo – nine councillors representing a ward each.
Paul Strickland, manager responsible for the review process, and Sarah Taylor the VEC’s boundaries and mapping officer, gave an overview of the process and possible variations.
In presenting the possible options, Mr Strickland said Yarra Ranges Shire, because of its mix of rural and suburban wards fell between 9 and 11 councillors.
He said it was important to remember that if the shire remained in wards the number of voters represented by each councillor must be within 10 per cent of the average number of voters per councillor.
Yarra Ranges mayor, Cr Tim Heenan, said the council’s position was to retain the status quo.
“If you wanted to be really honest, Melba not stand the test of time (in terms of the 10 per cent requirement) for another eight years and that’s in real terms more people living in Mooroolbark.
“I feel too for the two O’Shannassey and Ryrie councillors who have such huge geographical areas, but the one thing in conversations with the VEC that overrides everything else is the 10 per cent requirement and if you adjust those two, you would have to then adjust all the others.”
The preliminary report is due on 8 October and will be posted on the VEC website.
A public hearing will be held on 15 November in Lilydale and the final report is due on 6 December.
Mr Strickland said anyone can make a submission on the preliminary report, even if they have not made a previous submission.