Politics & Council
8 June, 2024
Big ward changes can wait: Review goes with tweaks
MAJOR change to Loddon Shire ward boundaries have been mothballed until a full structural review that could come within four years. The State Government late last Wednesday opted instead for minor adjustments in boundaries of the five wards for this...
MAJOR change to Loddon Shire ward boundaries have been mothballed until a full structural review that could come within four years.
The State Government late last Wednesday opted instead for minor adjustments in boundaries of the five wards for this October’s election, sticking with the proposal of the Victorian Electoral Commission to move voters in Derby, Leichardt and parts of Bridgewater and Inglewood from Inglewood to Tarnagulla ward.
VEC forecasts had the voter-to-councillor ratio of Inglewood Ward more than 10 per cent above the average by October and Tarnagulla Ward under by more than 10 per cent.
VEC also said its data showed Loddon’s population had declined by 400 since 2001 and there would be further slow decline.
The 2022 Census showed a shire population increase for the first time in 20 years although it dipped 0.04 per cent last year - or three people.
“The proposed changes were necessary to accommodate the relatively high rate of growth in and around the town of Inglewood, resulting in most of Derby, Leichardt, and part of Inglewood and Bridgewater transferring from Inglewood Ward to Tarnagulla Ward. All other boundaries were left unchanged,” the VEC final report said.
Just 111 voters will cast their vote in a different ward this October. “The VEC also noted that the submission from Loddon Shire Council supported these adjustments,” the report said.
A submission from the Loddon Herald to the VEC inquiry had suggested greater adjustment of boundaries that the panel report said had merit but were too great and should wait for the next scheduled appointment of an electoral representation advisory panel for a full electoral structure review of Loddon Shire Council.
That submission proposed Bridgewater and Newbridge forming part of the new Tarnagulla Ward, Korong Vale being placed in Wedderburn Ward, Boort and Serpentine in a “Loddon Valley Highway” ward and Terrick extending south to include farms around Campbells Forest and Bridgewater North. Under the review, ward names could not be changed.
The VEC said it rejected the proposal on two grounds:
The model proposed significant change to the ward boundaries which would have affected 23.8 per cent of currently enrolled voters (1661 voters). The submission proposed a major reconfiguration of the current wards that goes beyond the focus of the current review, which is to balance ward deviations. This level of change could be disruptive for voters, whereas the preliminary model would result in a clear majority of voters being maintained in familiar wards and ward boundaries.
Change of this scale would not be appropriate to adopt without further community consultation. While the model might reflect an improved grouping of communities of interest, these communities of interest were not given adequate opportunity to consider or comment on the changes. For the VEC to recommend the model could have raised issues of procedural fairness.
Of 11 ward boundary reviews this year, paid for by the councils, initial VEC proposals have been accepted by the Government in full or with minor change.
HOW MANY VOTERS IN EACH WARD
Boort 1349 -3.34%
Inglewood 1379 -1.19%
Tarnagulla 1499 +7.41%
Terrick 1355 -2.91%
Wedderburn 1396 +0.03%
* Elector numbers November 2023
* Deviation forecast October 2024