Gerald Lynch
Brimbank council is one of many across the state that will have major changes in its council structure heading into council elections.
The state government is amending the electoral structures of 39 Victorian councils ahead of the local government general elections in October this year.
The electoral representation advisory panel recommended that Brimbank council adopts an 11 single-councillor ward structure – 11 wards with one councillor per ward.
The recommended names for the 11 wards in this electoral structure are Albanvale, Cherry Creek, Copernicus, Delahey, Grasslands, Harvester, Horseshoe Bend, Kororoit Creek, Mount Derrimut, Organ Pipes and St Albans East wards.
Currently, Brimbank council has 11 councillors across just four wards.
They are the Grasslands Ward, Harvester Ward, Horseshoe Bend Ward, and Taylors Ward.
The review found that 11 councillors was the ideal number of the area of Brimbank and didn’t seek to make any changes to that.
The panel’s review stated that “after considering the requirements of the act, public submissions and the agreed criteria, the panel found model 2 to be the single-councillor ward model with the best potential to promote fair and equitable representation for voters in Brimbank council and consequently facilitate good governance.”
Six people had provided feedback as part of the process, with three backing model two as the best option..
Brimbank council will be one of 30 councils across Victoria to adopt the single-councillor ward structure.
Local Government Minister Melissa Horne said the amendment process was thorough and will find the best outcome for all.
“The Electoral Representation Advisory Panels have delivered thorough work over an extensive period to ensure that Victorian councils will be set up to effectively represent their communities,” she said.
“These new ward boundaries will be in place for the local government elections this year – an important step in our work to reform local government and meet the expectations of communities right across Victoria.”
