Allen to not run at shire election

THE Surf Coast Shire council will have at least one new face in its new guise after this year’s local government elections, with Lorne Ward councillor Gary Allen set to depart.

In their page in this newspaper last week, the Committee for Lorne revealed Cr Allen would not be standing for re-election in October, and that the committee was actively thinking about the future representation for what will be known as Otway Range Ward, which will have three councillors instead of one.

“Committee for Lorne would welcome discussions with members of the community who might be interested in standing for election in the Otway Range Ward,” the committee stated.

“We will need to take a strategic approach to ensuring a member of the Lorne community can secure the necessary votes for election and would be happy to work alongside potential candidates.”

“Committee for Lorne will, as it has in the past, continue to support the elected representative during their term in office.”

Cr Allen was the only candidate to stand in Lorne Ward at the 2020 council election and was elected automatically, succeeding Clive Goldsworthy.

Last month, the Victorian government announced it had accepted the recommendations proposed by an Electoral Representation Advisory Panel (ERAP) for the Surf Coast Shire.

Under the changes, the shire’s existing four wards – Torquay (four councillors), Anglesea (two), Winchelsea (two) and Lorne (one) – would be replaced by three wards – Torquay, Otway Range and Winchelsea – with three councillors in each ward.

Otway Range would take in the southern half of the shire west of Jan Juc, including Anglesea, Aireys Inlet and Lorne, with its northern border loosely defined by a line along Gundrys Road and Alsops Road.

The Aireys Inlet and District Committee stated in its latest newsletter that it was very pleased with the ERAP’s recommendations as they were in line with AIDA’s preferences for a restructure.

“One issue the review considered was ‘communities of interest’ that could influence the optimum grouping of communities within a ward.

“The AIDA committee put in a submission asking for three wards and that one should include the coastal communities of Anglesea, Aireys Inlet, Fairhaven, Moggs Creek, Eastern View and Lorne as well as their hinterland.

“Our submission argued that the coastal communities have links between community organisations, and share many of the same concerns, such as caring for the coastal environment, pressures of tourism and traffic on the Great Ocean Road, public infrastructure and the impacts of climate change, particularly dealing with bushfires and erosion along the coast and the vulnerability of the Great Ocean Road.

“The inclusion of the immediate hinterland in this ward makes sense given the close ties of population and employment with the coast.”

The next local government elections will be held in October.

For more information for both voters and candidates, head to vec.vic.gov.au/voting/types-of-elections/local-council-elections