Archive:  Council Elections - Legislation Changes

Last Updated  6/2/15

State Government Seeks Public Comments On Local Government Electoral Review Recommendations (Comments Close November 3)

(1/10/14 - C)   Stage 1 (41 recommendations) and Stage 2 (14 recommendations) to improve Council election processes and accountability  Electoral Reviews 

 The independent Local Government Electoral Review Panel has completed a comprehensive review of the local government electoral system including elections, voting, candidates, ward structures, number of councillors, donations, and much more.    Two large reports have been produced:  Stage 1 and Stage 2.   You have likely heard about these reports, or at least their recommendations, some of which represent major change.  The reports and their recommendations are out for public comment, which can be made until Monday November 3 (the day before Cup Day).  

You can download an online feedback form which includes all of the recommendations and asks what you think of them.  The reasons for the recommendations are in the Stage 1 and Stage 2 reports, so if you want to know more, look there.

For more information, go to the Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure website http://www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/localgovernment/local-government-reform/local-government-electoral-review  and click the link to the consultation page.  We couldn't find a postal address or a dedicated email address to forward submissions and comments, but you can contact (and presumably forward submissions to) Local Government Victoria via email on  lg.electoralreview@dtpli.vic.gov.au

MRRA Says:

There are some red-hot changes proposed in these 55 recommendations.  Our advice is to definitely download and print the feedback form because it contains all of the recommendations in one place.  Check out any that interest you, then look up the Stage 1 and Stage 2 reports to get the background on the recommendation before you comment.

Some of the 'hotties' include (recommendation numbers shown [ ]):

• [6] mandatory voting for people over 70 (currently can but don't have to vote),
• [8] voters rolls to be prepared by the Victorian Electoral Commission (instead of Council's CEO - which might improve the quality of the rolls),
• [17] councils arrange police checks and insolvency and ASIC rulings for elected councillors (is anyone comfortable with Macedon Ranges Council doing this?),
• [19, 20, 21,22] Council election candidates to be asked a standard list of questions by the VEC; answers and 200 word candidate statement to be included with ballot papers,
• [23] donations to candidates from individuals/corporations to be limited to $1,000,
• [26] candidates' how-to-vote recommendations to not be included with ballot papers,
• [31]  postal voting only for all council elections,
• [32]  allowing up to 5 days for postal votes to come in (potentially delaying final election outcomes, similar to State and Federal elections), 
• [33]  the VEC to conduct all council elections 
• [41]  allowing a returning officer (or election service provider) to initiate a Tribunal inquiry into the validity of an election,
• [51, 52, 53]   introducing optional preferential or proportional vote counting (which lets voters to select some of the candidates (instead of all) to have a legitimate vote),
• [54] changes to allow all votes in an election to be used to elect a new councillor by count back if a sitting councillor resigns or dies (currently, only the retiring or deceased councillor's votes are counted),
• [5[55]  review of councillor remuneration arrangements. 

Plenty to think about - go to it!