The state government has announced the names of the nine wards it will create within the City of Greater Shepparton under a major restructure for the municipality.
Greater Shepparton City Council is one of 39 councils across the state facing changes to their electoral structures required under the Local Government Act 2020.
Local Government Minister Melissa Horne announced the changes on Thursday, February 15, having accepted the recommendation of the Electoral Representation Advisory Panels.
Ms Horne said the new electoral arrangements will ensure councils are more reflective of the communities they represent.
Greater Shepparton is currently an unsubdivided council with nine councillors each representing the whole municipality.
Under the changes, however, the council will have nine wards with one councillor representing each ward.
Those wards will be known as Balaclava, Goulburn River, Kialla, Lower Goulburn, McEwen, Midland, Pine Lodge, Poplar and Yanha Gurtji.
Shepparton itself will be divided into five wards: McEwen and Balaclava wards capturing the northern suburbs of Shepparton, Poplar capturing the east, Kialla the south, and Yanha Gurtji the city centre.
The recommendation accepted by the minister said the remaining four wards attempt to keep rural communities together in each ward as much as possible.
That sees the communities of Tatura and Merrigum and surrounding agricultural land being captured in Midland Ward.
Similarly, Pine Lodge Ward in the north-east of the council area includes the towns of Congupna, Tallygaroopna, Katandra West, and Dookie using the boundaries of the Goulburn and Broken Rivers.
To include enough voters in the ward, though, the outskirts of Shepparton North have been added to the Pine Lodge Ward.
Mooroopna has been divided across two wards, using the Midland Hwy as a recognisable boundary.
Goulburn River Ward takes in the area of Mooroopna south of the Midland Hwy, extending into the southern rural areas of the council area, including the towns of Murchison and Toolamba.
Lower Goulburn Ward takes in the area of Mooroopna north of the Midland Hwy and includes the council’s northern rural area between the Goulburn River and the Echuca and Minchin Rds.
“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,” Ms Horne 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.”
Earlier this year, City of Greater Shepparton Mayor Shane Sali called on Ms Horne to delay the reforms.
He said it was too close to the next local government elections in October to implement such a major change fairly.
Ms Horne also announced that Campaspe Shire Council and Strathbogie Shire Council will change to unsubdivided structures.
The five councils that will change to an unsubdivided structure: Campaspe Shire Council, Gannawarra Shire Council, Hepburn Shire Council, Moorabool Shire Council and Strathbogie Shire Council.
Four councils will change to a multi-member ward structure. They are: Buloke Shire Council, Northern Grampians Shire Council, Surf Coast Shire Council and Yarriambiack Shire Council.