General News
27 September, 2024
Election a test of attrition
Voters in Dimboola going to the polls for the October local government elections will have a relatively straightforward choice compared to some of their neighbouring shires.
With Hindmarsh split into three wards, two candidates are already guaranteed spots in the new council.
Rosie Barker and a returning Ron Ismay will be elected unopposed in West ward, while there are two three-horse races in the remaining two wards: Debra Nelson, Chan Uoy and James Barry competing in East ward, and Roger Aitken, Tony Clark and Elizabeth Chivell aiming for the two spots in North ward.
It's a different story in Horsham, where 15 candidates are grappling for just seven seats.
But despite that - and because of the new ward system imposed on a majority of councils - two candidates are already preparing their acceptance speeches.
Brian Klowss is councillor-elect for Wyn Wyn ward, and Rebecca Sluggett, as the only nominee for Kalimna ward, is also looking forward to taking her seat in the chamber.
Each of the five other one-seat wards will be fought by two or three candidates.
The most fiercely contested shire in the Wimmera is Northern Grampians, where 15 people are vying for just six seats.
Each of the three two-seat wards will be decided from between four and six nominees.
Meanwhile, no one will be going to the polls in Yarriambiack, as all six candidates will be elected unopposed.
The shire saw its representation cut from seven seats to six.
But with two councillors retiring - Graeme Massey and Tom Hamilton - Melinda Keel is the sole newcomer joining the remaining five sitting councillors.
West Wimmera also is looking fairly stable.
Helen Hobbs is the only newcomer in the pack, competing with five sitting councillors for the five available seats in the only unsubdivided municipality in the region.
Two candidates will be elected unopposed in Buloke - Bernadette Hogan and Alan Getley - while six hopefuls will tussle for the four remaining seats.
Following the close of nominations and ballot draws for this year’s local council elections, 2231 candidates nominated for 646 council vacancies in 466 separate elections across Victoria.
Forty-two of those individual elections are uncontested, where the number of candidates is equal to the number of vacancies, and no voting will take place.
There were only 298 separate elections at the 2020 poll, prior to many of the councils being split into wards following last year's electoral review.