Local governments around Victoria are just 10 months out from an election, yet, for City of Greater Shepparton councillors, the structure of the council they might stand for remains unknown, and Mayor Shane Sali wants the reforms delayed.
The City of Greater Shepparton is among 39 council areas across Victoria requiring major restructuring to meet changes under the Local Government Act before council elections are held in October.
Under those changes, Greater Shepparton must change from its “unsubdivided” structure of nine councillors without wards to a structure of single councillors representing between five and 12 wards.
Former councillors and mayors, and the council itself, have criticised the requirement.
Among the criticisms are that it will make it more difficult for minority candidates to be elected and foster rivalries among councillors and areas within the municipality.
A final report, including proposed ward names and their boundaries, was handed to Victorian Local Government Minister Melissa Horne by an advisory panel on August 30 last year, but the minister is yet to announce the outcome of the process, and her department has not released what was in the report or declared when she will announce her decision.
Cr Sali said the introduction of the changes, whatever form they take, should be delayed until the municipal elections in 2028.
“If that announcement took place, that we were going to have wards, and it was finalised in the early parts of this year, or even mid-year, then we’re probably not going to get any clear direction on exactly what the ward structure looks like until either late Jan, Feb, possibly March,” he said.
“That’s six months out from an election.”
Cr Sali said the government has stated that one of the major aims of the reforms is to attract greater diversification among candidates, and having such a short lead-in to the election would make that difficult.
“For them (the government) to try and achieve that diversity that they’re looking for, I don’t think it gives them a good opportunity,” he said.
“If you roll it out in 2025-26, you give people a good two years leading into the next election to understand the boundaries, start working to build a profile and advocating in their own way to build that sort of presence leading into the election, I think in 2028.
“Literally, me in the (council) building, I have no idea what our ward structure looks like, and that’s okay, I shouldn’t have any more information than anyone else, but imagine someone out there who’s wanting to run, wanting to build a profile and an understanding of the concerns for that particular ward.
“You’re only giving them six months, if that.”
Ms Horne’s office has previously told The News that the recommendations of the advisory panel are being reviewed by the minister, but would not release what was in that report or declare when the minister would announce the outcome of the electoral restructuring process.