VICTORIAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS 2005

The State of Victoria, Australia, is governed at a local level by local governments known as cities and shires. Local governments are made up of democratically elected individuals who are selected by a popular vote of their constituents, who are vested with powers to govern in the best interests of their community.

Victorian Local Governments exist under law created by the Victorian State Parliament. This allows the State Parliament to create laws that change almost every aspect of local government. Because State and Federal Parliaments are described in the Commonwealth Constitution, the Australian Constitution protects them from the degree of political inference that State Governments have imposed on Local Governments. Unfortunately, proposed changes to recognise local government in the Australian Constitution were put to the people in a referenda in 1988 and were lost, allowing the State Parliament to continue to make changes to the Victorian Local Government Act with almost complete impunity from judicial review. Such abuses of power in the past have resulted in the dismissal, amalgamation and abolition of democratically elected local governments.

There are 79 local governments in Victoria. The area known as the Docklands was formerly part of the City of Melbourne, but was taken away from democratic control under Kennett Government changes and is currently administered by the Urban and Regional Land Corporation. Below is a list of all victorian councils, with a hotlink to each of their websites.

WHICH VICTORIAN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS GO TO ELECTION IN 2005?

These Victorian Councils will go to election on November 2005: Alpine Shire, Banyule City, Bass Coast Shire Council, Baw Baw Shire Council, Bayside City Council, Benalla Rural City Council, Brimbank City Council, Buloke Shire Council, Campaspe Shire Council, Cardinia Shire Council, Casey City Council, Central Goldfields Shire Council, East Gippsland Shire Council, Frankston City Council, Gannawarra Shire Council, Glen Eira City Council, Greater Dandenong City Council, Greater Shepparton City Council, Hepburn Shire Council, Hindmarsh Shire Council, Horsham Rural City Council, Hume City Council, Indigo Shire Council, Kingston City Council, Knox City Council, Latrobe City Council, Loddon Shire Council, Macedon Ranges Shire Council, Manningham City Council, Mansfield Shire Council, Maribyrnong City Council, Maroondah City Council, Mildura Rural City Council, Mitchell Shire Council, Moira Shire Council, Monash City Council, Moonee Valley City Council, Mornington Peninsula Shire Council, Mount Alexander Shire Council, Murrindindi Shire Council, Northern Grampians Shire Council, South Gippsland Shire Council, Strathbogie Shire Council, Swan Hill Rural City Council, Towong Shire Council, Wangaratta Rural City Council, Wellington Shire Council, West Wimmera Shire Council, Whitehorse City Council, Whittlesea City Council, Wodonga City Council, Wyndham City Council, Yarra Ranges Shire Council and Yarriambiack Shire Council.

All Victorian Councils go to election simultaneously before entering fixed 4 year term in November 2008.

GREENS IN VICTORIAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Victorian Greens Councillors currently serving their community include:

I will be regularly updating this page as information becomes available, from newest to oldest in the area below.

2005 VICTORIAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS NEWS, VIEWS AND INFORMATION

GREENS ELECTED TO BRIMBANK, MARIBYRNONG, MOONEE VALLEY, MOUNT ALEXANDER, WHITEHORSE AND YARRA RANGES COUNCILS.

Strong support for Greens candidates has elected Miles Dymott in Brimbank, Helen Harris in Whitehorse, Samantha Dunn in Yarra Ranges, Philip Schier in Mt Alexander, Ben Opie in Moonee Valley, and returned Janet Rice in Maribyrnong. They join elected Greens in Bendigo, Melbourne, Moreland and Yarra Councils.

Congratulations to all who contributed and thank you for voting Green.

27 NOVEMBER 2005

GREENS GREET NEW GREEN LOCAL GOVERNMENT VOICES IN METRO AND REGIONAL VICTORIA

Greens have been elected to Maribyrnong, Moonee Valley, Whitehorse and Yarra Ranges Councils, with pending results bringing potential wins in Brimbank, Macedon Ranges and Mount Alexander.

On current votes the newly elected Green Crs are Janet Rice – Maribyrnong City; Ben Opie – Moonee Valley City; Helen Harris OAM – Whitehorse City and Samantha Dunn – Yarra Ranges Shire.

Those waiting final counting are Miles Dymott – Brimbank, Megan Hannes-Peterson and Kate Lawrence in Macedon Ranges and Philip Schier in Mount Alexander Shire.

These results could bring the increase of Victoria Green Councillors from 10 to 17.

Green Councillors will bring strong community connections, and a strong interest in democracy, sustainable planning, fixing transport issues, financial accountability, small business, social justice and a commitment to ‘Think globally and act locally’.

Greens local government co-ordinator David Risstrom said, “The Greens have run a strong, honest and open election campaign.  The conduct of Greens candidates during their campaigns has given the community faith that they will govern fairly on their behalf.”“While many candidates ran good strong local campaigns, yet again many non-Green candidates ran unendorsed when their material and supporters suggested party membership and strong parties ties.” 

“Stooges were again a factor in many elections, where so called independent our community candidates remained bound by party rules to preference party colleagues ahead of all others, irrespective of merit”, David Risstrom said.“It is time that the Local Government Act was amended to require candidates to declare they were a legitimate candidate and not a stooge, by declaring intention to take up office if elected.  If this were law, stooges would be making false declarations punishable by law.  At the moment, in an arrangement that cheats the electorate, stooges can stand with relative impunity.  The community should stop being defrauded of their right to decent and honest representation”, David Risstrom said.

“With a 25% increase in support at the Federal election and a potential 70% increase in the number of Green councillors, the Greens continue to grow in strength every election. On behalf of those who has supported us, we thank you and look forward to giving our Councils a strong green voice”, concluded David Risstrom.For information and comment by Crs. elect:
• David Risstrom, Greens Local Government Co-ordinator - 0418 502 713.
• Maribyrnong Cr. elect Janet Rice: 0439 363 846
• Moonee Valley Cr. elect Ben Opie: 0407 540 669
• Whitehorse Cr. elect Helen Harris: 9890 9288
• Yarra Ranges Cr. elect Samantha Dunn: 0412 829 840

GREENS STANDING IN 2005 VICTORIAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS

The Greens are looking forward to increasing their involvement in local government. Beginning with my election in 1999 as the only Green elected in Victoria, we now have ten Councillors across five Councils. This election will almost certainly see more Greens representing your views at a local level. The Victorian Greens currently have 31 local government candidates across 17 Councils. If you would like more Greens to be elected and can help in any way please either visit our online 'Become a volunteer' page by clicking on the underlined title, or contact Leanne, the Victorian Greens volunteer co-ordinator, by clicking on her underlined name. Further information on each election is available by clicking on the title of the Council or Shire in the table below.

More information on Victorian Local Government elections is available on this website at Victorian Local Government Elections.

Click here for Preference Recommendations of Victorian Greens 2005 Local Government Candidates

 

GREENS STANDING IN 2005 VICTORIAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS

7 NOVEMBER

2005 VICTORIAN GREENS LOCAL GOVERNMENT PREFERENCES

Thank you for considering your vote with the value it deserves.

Clicking the link below list will take you to a page telling you where your vote will go when you vote Green. Some Council candidates are not upfront or honest about who they are and support.  The Greens are.  We believe if you can’t campaign honestly, you are unlikely to govern well: David Risstrom, Greens Local Government Campaign Co-ordinator.

Click on your Council's name to see how you can vote Green. Green candidates’ names below link to their statements on the Greens Local Government webpage. Banyule, Brimbank, Cardinia, Casey, East Gippsland, Kingston, Knox, La Trobe, Macedon Ranges, Maribyrnong, Maroondah, Moonee Valley, Mount Alexander, Whitehorse, Wodonga, Wyndham, Yarra Ranges Shire.

27 OCTOBER 2005

OF POLITICS, PREFERENCES AND THE THREE STOOGES

The following media release was issued by Maribyrnong Greens Cr. Janet Rice.The Greens have prepared a questionnaire for all candidates in the Maribyrnong Council elections to help decide where to direct Greens preferences.
 
Greens Councillor Cr Colleen Hartland said that it was Greens policy to direct preferences on the basis of policy and performance of candidates and parties, not on the basis of doing deals.

The questions ask candidates their views on critical council issues such as rates, child care, traffic and parking, as well as seeking their commitments for the mayoralty to go to the councillor best suited to the role, and not be a reward for long service or factional manoeuvring. This is what is recommended in The Good Governance Guide for local councils.
 
Cr Hartland said that if a candidate chooses to not answer the questionnaire it will be presumed that they either do not have any policies on these issues or are not interested in receiving Greens preferences.
 
The questionnaire also asks candidates to state whether they are a member of a political party.
 
Cr Janet Rice said that this was critical in identifying ALP ‘stooges’, who are standing as ‘independents’, but whose main reason for standing is to support the endorsed ALP candidate, rather than having any intention of winning themselves.

‘In the case of Saltwater Ward, there are six candidates standing. Four of them are members of the ALP, Cr Rice said. ‘Is there a serious ALP candidate standing against me? Who is it? And who are the three stooges?’ she asked.

‘Of course there are the stooges standing to support the campaigns of the ‘independents’ also’, Cr Rice commented. ‘It’s pretty easy to work out who they are’.
 
‘We can assure the community there are no Greens stooges. The Greens have an explicit policy of being honest and transparent and not standing stooges. That’s why we stand as endorsed Greens candidates – letting people know who we are, and what we stand for.
 
Further information Cr Janet Rice 0418 535 198 or Cr Colleen Hartland. Authorised by Janet Rice, 14 Stirling St Footscray 3011

15 OCTOBER 2005

2005 VICTORIAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS - CANDIDATE INFORMATION HANDBOOKS

ATTENDANCE VOTING AT POLLING PLACES BETWEEN 8 AM AND 6 PM ON SATURDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2005

The 2005 Victorian Local Government elections are being conducted by attendance at polling places on 26 November 2005 in the local government areas covered by Banyule City, Brimbank City Council, Greater Dandenong City Council, Knox City Council, Maribyrnong City Council and Moonee Valley City Council.The 2005 Victorian Electoral Commission Candidate Handbook for 'Attendance elections' is available by visiting the VEC's Council election websites for those municipalities.

POSTAL VOTING COMMENCES 8 NOVEMBER AND CONCLUDES 25 NOVEMBER 2005

The 2005 Victorian Local Government elections are being conducted by postal ballots mailed out between 8 and 10 November 2005 at the Cities and Shires of Alpine Shire, Bass Coast Shire Council, Baw Baw Shire Council, Bayside City Council, Benalla Rural City Council, Buloke Shire Council, Campaspe Shire Council, Cardinia Shire Council, Casey City Council, Central Goldfields Shire Council, East Gippsland Shire Council, Frankston City Council, Gannawarra Shire Council, Glen Eira City Council, Greater Shepparton City Council, Hepburn Shire Council, Hindmarsh Shire Council, Horsham Rural City Council, Hume City Council, Indigo Shire Council, Kingston City Council, Latrobe City Council, Loddon Shire Council, Macedon Ranges Shire Council, Manningham City Council, Mansfield Shire Council, Maroondah City Council, Mildura Rural City Council, Mitchell Shire Council, Moira Shire Council, Monash City Council, Mornington Peninsula Shire Council, Mount Alexander Shire Council, Murrindindi Shire Council, Northern Grampians Shire Council, South Gippsland Shire Council, Strathbogie Shire Council, Swan Hill Rural City Council, Towong Shire Council, Wangaratta Rural City Council, Wellington Shire Council, West Wimmera Shire Council, Whitehorse City Council, Whittlesea City Council, Wodonga City Council, Wyndham City Council, Yarra Ranges Shire Council and Yarriambiack Shire Council.The 2005 Victorian Electoral Commission Candidate Handbook for Postal elections' is available by visiting the VEC's Council election websites for those municipalities.

17 OCTOBER 2005

VICTORIAN GREENS SUCCESSFUL LOCAL GOVERNMENT TRAINING SESSION

The Victorian Greens ran a successful local government training session today as part of its commitment to take local government responsibility seriously and to encourage and train as many candidates for the upcoming local government elections. A large number of Green local government councillors, current and past, shared ideas and insights from the work they have done so far. Information from the session will be posted on the Green member invite only Victorian Greens Local Government Elections 2006 Yahoo Group. Those Greens members who are or will be candidates or actively involved in campaigning should contact the Victorian Greens office to request membership to the group.

11 AUGUST 2005

STATE GOVERNMENT SACKS ANOTHER LOCAL COUNCIL

Media reports today have stated that the Victorian Local Government Council, Glen Eira, has been suspended. While no information appears to be available on the Government's website about this claim, and radio reports I have heard made it clear that not even the Council members themselves were informed ahead of the announcement, it appears that four months ahead of their scheduled 25 November 2005 election, that an administrator will replace the elected Councillors. I will provide more information as it becomes available

18 FEBRUARY 2005

2004 VICTORIAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTION RESULTS WHERE GREENS WERE CANDIDATES

I have compiled a word document showing the results of the November 2004 local government elections where Greens candidates stood. It is available as a 636 Kb word download by clicking here or on the underlined title above. Hotlinks to Council areas and electoral reviews are contained in the document.

A summary of the results is contained in the item on the linked page Victorian Local Govenment Elections 2004, detailed in the artilce dated '2 December 2004 - Greens greet new local government voices in metro and regional Victoria.'