An independent review appointed by the Minister for Local Government has released its final report on the electoral structure of the Shire of Mount Alexander Council.
The electoral representation advisory panel recommends that Mount Alexander Shire adopt a single-councillor ward structure, with a total of eight councillors, eight wards and one councillor per ward.
The single-councillor ward structure will bring Mount Alexander Shire Council into line with the Local Government Act which stipulates that large and small rural shire councils can have one of three electoral structures:
- Unsubdivided – i.e. entire council area with no wards.
- Single-councillor wards.
- Multi-councillor wards with the same number of councillors per ward.
The Shire currently has five wards, with three councillors representing Castlemaine and the other four with single councillors.
The review has recommended names for the eight wards in the proposed electoral structure: Barkers Creek Ward, Calder Ward, Campbells Creek Ward, Coliban Ward, Forest Creek Ward, Loddon River Ward, Moonlight Creek Ward and Tarrengower Ward.
During the process, the panel published three different electoral models for public consultation. A total of 24 submissions were received and one person took up the offer to speak at a public hearing.
The majority of submissions supported the single-councillor ward structure with eight wards. Most of the submissions came from residents in small towns and rural areas. They reasoned that this structure would provide the most effective representation for the shire, especially the outlying areas.
Mount Alexander Shire Council advocated for a single-councillor ward structure but supported seven councillors rather than eight.
Ms Lauren Williams of Maldon was the sole person who chose to speak at the public hearing, suggesting that the town of Castlemaine dominated council activities at the expense of the shire’s rural areas. These rural areas, she agreed, would best be served by the eight ward single-councillor structure.
One reason why the panel recommended a ward-based structure over an unsubdivided structure was because it felt that the latter might lead to a situation where Castlemaine was favoured over areas outside the main town centre. The panel believed that the ward-based structure would provide representation for smaller towns.
Mount Alexander Shire Mayor Cr Matthew Driscoll told the [Tarrangower] Times that he has some reservations with the panel’s recommendation for the eight ward single-councillor structure.
“This could put pressure on the Mayor,” he said. “At present, the Mayor’s casting vote is not often used, but with an equal number of councillors it would be a more common occurrence. That, in my opinion, would not be good governance. And an eighth councillor will come at an extra cost.”
This article appeared in the Tarrangower Times, 23 February 2024.
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