Council ward plans released

Town and country: Option three for the VEC’s proposed City of Greater Bendigo electoral ward structure features six rural/ urban wards and three predominately city-based ridings. Image: VEC

THREE proposed structures for the State Government mandated realignment of municipal electoral wards in the City of Greater Bendigo have been released.

Prepared by the Victorian Electoral commission, voters at the 2024 council election will go to the polls in a nine-ward, single councillor model, replacing the current three-ward, three councillor system.

Currently out for public feedback are three nine-ward models, each with different boundaries.

Two of the options predominately feature three rural/ urban fridge wards and six metropolitan ridings, and the last offers six rural/ urban wards with three electorates based on inner Bendigo.

The options were put together by a what the VEC report describes as an “independent electoral structure review panel appointed by the Minister for Local Government” with the group looking at issues like ward names and boundaries.

The report also says that the panel considered the number of wards and councillors for the City of Greater Bendigo municipal electoral structure.

“The panel is now seeking feedback on the preliminary electoral structure models,” the report says. “You can make a response submission to the preliminary models until 5 pm Wednesday 19 July.

“If any response submitters wish to speak at a public hearing, the panel will hold an online public hearing on Tuesday 25 July.

“Following this, the panel will present its final recommendation to the Minister on Wednesday 23 August.”

The preliminary report and proposed models are available at the VEC website.