Election time for

By Kath Gannaway
O’SHANNASSY Ward residents will be going to the polls for the first time in five years when council elections are held at the end of next month.
Councillor Monika Keane stood unopposed in 2005, but with her decision not to stand for another term, residents will be asked to choose from a field of candidates that was, as of Monday night, James Child, Robert Hay, Chris Templer and Joanne Switserloot.
The choice could be wider with nominations closing at noon today (Tuesday), and with the current economic and environmental climate, that choice has never been more important.
Planning, logging of the water catchments, connection of gas to Warburton and public transport are among the main issues candidates say residents are concerned about.
A backlash against the current council’s green policies is also a possibility.
Childs, a former Shire of Upper Yarra councillor, said people wanted their councillor to be available.
“They want someone who will support and represent the community,’’ he said.
“At the Warburton end of the electorate, a big issue is connection of the gas.’’
Among the top eight resident concerns on his blog are “the current council is too green and a call for council to speed up the planning process’’. Hay stood for council in 2003 and says the time is right for him to throw his hat into the ring again.
“One of the strongest issues up here is logging in the catchments and of old growth forests,’’ he said.
“I think council could do better at being responsive to people’s needs whatever they are, and perhaps could be a bit more transparent.
“The perennial issues up here are transport, recreational opportunities and the need for gas connection.’’
Allocation of preferences is another issue voters will need to be on top off.
In the 2005 election, two councillors were elected after distribution of secondary preferences.
Victorian Electoral Commission spokesman Paul Thornton-Smith said that while candidates could indicate their preferences, they were not binding.
“In practice, there is not a huge amount of conformity, but it can be to a candidate’s advantage to work out informal alliances with other candidates.’’
Yarra Ranges elections will be conducted by post with the deadline for votes 28 November.
Mr Thornton-Smith said that with Yarra Ranges operating on a single-wards basis, results could be in on the Sunday.