The ward boundaries for ten Victorian councils will be altered in time for the 2024 elections, following a review by the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC).
The Victorian government has accepted the VEC’s final reports and recommendations, ensuring fair and equitable representation through the new ward boundary arrangements.
Under the Local Government Act 2020, the number of voters per councillor in a ward should not vary by more than ten per cent from the average number of voters per councillor for all of the wards.
The 10 councils changing their ward boundaries:
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Bass Coast Shire Council
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Baw Baw Shire Council
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Boroondara City Council
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Cardinia Shire Council
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Greater Dandenong City Council
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Loddon Shire Council
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Murrindindi Shire Council
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Pyrenees Shire Council
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South Gippsland Shire Council
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Wellington Shire Council
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In February 2023, the VEC advised that ten councils were projected to have at least one ward with councillor-to-voter ratio imbalances at the time of the October 2024 elections. In April 2023, in accordance with section 17 of the Local Government Act 2020, the Minister for Local Government asked the VEC to conduct ward boundary reviews for these councils.
The VEC’s reviews have been completed in time to allow for candidates and the VEC to implement the necessary planning ahead of the general elections in October this year.
What do the council changes mean?
These changes don’t effect the external boundaries of a council, but they can potentially effect your ability to vote in council elections if you live outside the municipality but have a property or business within the council boundaries.
Four councils will change to a multi-member ward structure: Buloke Shire Council , Northern Grampians Shire Council, Surf Coast Shire Council and Yarriambiack Shire Council.
Five councils will change to an unsubdivided structure: Campaspe Shire Council , Gannawarra Shire Council, Hepburn Shire Council, Moorabool Shire Council and Strathbogie Shire Council.
The remaining 30 councils will change to a single-member ward structure:
- Ballarat City Council
- Brimbank City Council
- Casey City Council
- Central Goldfields Shire Council
- Corangamite Shire Council
- Frankston City Council
- Glen Eira City Council
- Greater Bendigo City Council
- Greater Geelong City Council
- Greater Shepparton City Council
- Hobsons Bay City Council
- Horsham Rural City Council
- Hume City Council
- Latrobe City Council
- Maribyrnong City Council
- Melton City Council
- Merri-bek City Council
- Mildura Rural City Council
- Monash City Council
- Moonee Valley City Council
- Mornington Peninsula Shire Council
- Mount Alexander Shire Council
- Port Phillip City Council
- Stonnington City Council
- Wangaratta Rural City Council
- Warrnambool City Council
- Whittlesea City Council
- Wodonga City Council
- Wyndham City Council
- Yarra City Council
“We thank the Victorian Electoral Commission for their extensive work to ensure Victorian communities have fair and equitable representation from their local councils,” Minister for Local Government Melissa Horne said.
“These new ward boundaries will be in place for the local government elections this year, which is an important step in supporting local government to meet community expectations.”
The ward boundary details are available at localgovernment.vic.gov.au/council-governance.
