By JESSE GRAHAM
THE Yarra Valley could have its wards meshed into one, with Healesville Action Group pushing for a three-ward future for Yarra Ranges as part of a Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) review.
The council is currently being reviewed by the VEC as part of routine electoral representation reviews, which occur every three electoral cycles.
As part of the review, which opened on 5 August, residents are being invited to have their say on how they see the future of the Yarra Ranges in terms of wards boundaries and councillor numbers.
HAG member, John Anwin, said his idea for the council was to have three major wards – one for the Yarra Valley, another for the Dandenong Ranges, and a third for the urban suburbs – each with three councillors elected.
The benefit of this, he says, is that the areas in the three wards have similar interests, such as agriculture or tourism, and multiple councillors would mean better representation of differing views in those areas.
“The three areas are quite diverse – all three have got different requirements, different aspirations and different beliefs about what should happen,” Mr Anwin said.
“I think also, because we’re all falliable, even the councillors sometimes – sometimes they are very good and balanced, and don’t let their personal views get involved, but in some instances, they do.
“The likelihood of getting all three with the same philosophy is pretty remote.”
However, the proposal has come up in previous reviews of the shire, including in 2007, where it was listed as a second preliminary alternative and discussed in great detail.
Of the 23 submissions to the VEC following its preliminary report in the last review, 15 of them supported the three-ward, nine-councillor structure.
One of the major concerns raised in the document was that wards need to have roughly the same amount of voters, for fairness in elections.
When discussing the three-ward proposal in its 2007 Final Report, the VEC said to do so would require Mount Evelyn being split and placed into multiple wards.
“Attempts were made by the VEC to alter ward boundaries in order to place all of the locality of Mt Evleyn within one ward … but due to legislative requirements pertaining to the equality of voter numbers, this could not be achieved,” the report read.
VEC spokesperson, Lawson Fletcher, told the Mail that every submission from the public would be carefully reviewed, as long as it fit the criteria.
“The VEC will formulate options for Yarra Ranges Shire Council based on a range of considerations, including population statistics and other research, as well as careful consideration of all input from the public in written and verbal submissions received during the review,” Mr Fletcher said.
“The review can consider any electoral structure that meets the requirements of the Local Government Act 1989.
“Models put forward in submissions are taken into account on the basis of argument and evidence.”
Consultation sessions explaining how to prepare a submission were held by the VEC last week in Lilydale, Healesville and Monbulk.
Residents are able to make submissions on the first stage of the review until 5pm on Wednesday, 2 September, by visiting www.vec.vic.gov.au or emailing yarraranges.review@vec.vic.gov.au.
What do you think of the Healesville Action Group’s proposal? Do you agree with it, or do you have a better idea for the council’s future? Write a letter to the Editor at editor@mailnewsgroup.com.au.
