City split suggested in ward boundary review

GEELONG might soon be too large for its existing local government model to work effectively, according to submitters to an electoral structure review.

Removing the Bellarine Peninsula, splitting the city into two municipalities or a mammoth 24-member council are among the suggestions raised during consultation.

Councillors, residents and community groups have had their say on a new ward structure for the City of Greater Geelong, that will take effect ahead of next year’s council elections.

New state government legislation means Geelong must shift to a single-councillor ward system from 2024.

The present 11-councillor, four-ward system replaced a single-councillor system in 2017 is the result of a citizen’s jury that determined representation in the wake of the state government’s dismissal of Geelong’s council in the previous year.

An Electoral Representation Advisory Panel (ERAP) has proposed either maintaining 11 wards or adding one to reach 12, which is the most allowed under new laws.

But that limit would mean each councillor would be responsible for about 20,000 residents – a number set to grow as the region’s population increases in coming years – raising concern about if all ratepayers can be adequately represented.

The city’s deputy mayor Anthony Aitken called for the ERAP to scrap proposed models and start again, claiming all three would fail to represent their communities adequately.

“The proposed boundaries are artificial and group significantly different and opposing communities of interest, instead of trying to group like-minded communities of interest.”

Cr Melissa Cadwell similarly called for different structures than what was allowed under the Act.

A submission from Women in Local Democracy (WILD) called for Geelong to be either divided into 24 wards in a single-councillor structure, or split into two municipalities.

Multiple other submitters likened the new boundaries without major structural change to “rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic”.

The ERAP has hosted an online public hearing to hear submissions, and is due to provide a final recommendation and report by August 30.

Local Government Minister Melissa Horne will make a final decision on new ward boundaries.