In 2023. The Victorian Electoral Commission conducted a lengthy review of ward structures across a number of Local Government areas in Victoria, including Surf Coast Shire. The Commission called for submissions from individuals and organisations in February of 2023, then published a preliminary report containing three options for revised ward boundaries for consideration. The electoral representation advisory panel then called for further submissions to the preliminary report in April 2023. The Panel submitted its final report and recommendation to the relevant Minister in July 2023. The Minister announced acceptance of the report in early February and the new, revised ward structure will be implemented for the Council elections in October 2024.

The Panel’s final recommendation is:

The electoral representation advisory panel recommends that Surf Coast Shire Council adopt a multi-councillor ward structure, with a total of 9 councillors, 3 wards and 3 councillors per ward.

The recommended names for the 3 wards in this electoral structure are Otway Range Ward, Torquay Ward and Winchelsea Ward.

The attached map shows the boundaries of the three wards within Surf Coast Shire.

The report has this to say about the Surf Coast Shire:

“The shire covers an area of 1,553 km² and includes an iconic stretch of coastline, part of the Otway Ranges and a large rural hinterland. The shire is a major tourist destination, registering over 2.4 million visitors each year. Attractions include the Great Ocean Road, Great Otway National Park, Erskine Falls and the world-famous Bells Beach. It is a popular holiday destination for those living in Melbourne and surrounds.

The shire’s current population is 37,694. Torquay, 21 km south of Geelong, is the shire’s largest town, with just under half of the total population. Along the Great Ocean Road, Anglesea, Aireys Inlet and Lorne are the most populous coastal towns. Winchelsea, situated on the Barwon River, is the largest inland town and is an important service base for the surrounding rural communities.

At the 2021 Census, around 32% of all homes in the shire were unoccupied, with significantly higher vacancy rates recorded for Lorne (68.6%), Aireys Inlet (59.5%) and Anglesea (55.5%%). These coastal towns swell in population significantly during the peak summer holiday period.

So, after twelve years of having a Lorne Ward, represented exceptionally well for that period by Clive Goldsworthy (8 years) and Gary Allen (4 years), we are now to be part of the Otway Range ward represented by three Councillors.

Committee for Lorne (CfL) made a submission when the review was announced. In our submission we stated:

“We believe it is important to recognise a number of key factors which serve to make for effective and responsive local government:

· representation of communities of interest

· acknowledgement of the diverse communities of the Surf Coast – rural, coastal, urban and peri-urban

· experience has shown that having councillors representing wards provides a better outcome than several councillors and an unsubdivided Shire.”

We called for the establishment of nine wards each covering the diverse Communities of Interest within Surf Coast Shire, each with its own Councillor.

When the Panel released its Preliminary Report, this was not one of the three options proposed.

Once again, we submitted a response requesting reconsideration of the nine-ward structure but the final decision is to implement a three ward structure with three Councillors in each ward.

CfL also made a public submission to the three members of the Panel. The final report contains the following comments from the public submission.

“The Committee for Lorne continued its support for this structure and commented that most submissions favoured a subdivided ward structure. The committee believed previous experience had shown single-councillor wards provided better outcomes than multi-councillor wards or an unsubdivided electoral structure. Councillor Gary Allen felt a 9 single-councillor ward structure would be the most democratic structure for Surf Coast Shire and argued that the list of projects secured for the Lorne community under the current single-councillor ward (Lorne Ward) demonstrated how a councillor was able to act in the interests of both the residents of a ward and the shire as a whole.”

At the Public Submission, Peter Spring, CfL representative, commented that, “now that the decision is made, we must ensure that at least one of the Councillors elected to Otway Range ward comes from Lorne so that we can continue to enjoy the benefits of a Councillor who resides in Lorne and is an integral member of our Community.”

We stated in our submissions that, “Since 2012, the Lorne ward has been represented by a local councillor and the community recognises the very positive impact that has had. Having a local ward councillor who is present in the community, who understands the pressures and needs of the community and who can represent the community effectively in the Council chamber is truly effective local government.”

Councillor Allen has advised that he will not be standing for re-election in October. Committee for Lorne would welcome discussions with members of the Community who might be interested in standing for election in the Otway Range ward. 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.

So, if you are thinking about taking this opportunity to stand for election for Otway Range ward in October, we’d love to hear from you and offer our full support.

Committee for Lorne

PS – Full report of the electoral review can be downloaded here – http://tinyurl.com/shire-review

A Word From the Chairman

One very lucky and grateful lady will remember her recent visit to Lorne. While swimming near the Erskine River mouth last week, she found herself trapped in a strong current and was quickly swept about 300 metres from the shore. Some quick-thinking locals raised the alarm and called for help. Fortunately a couple of our local police were visiting the Swing Bridge café and ran to the beach where one of them stripped to his underwear and swam out to provide assistance. In the meantime, word had reached Surf Rescue who were quickly on the scene in an inflatable rescue boat and conveyed the lucky lady (and the heroic rescuer) back to shore. She was taken to our local hospital where she made a full recovery.

In a novel twist, the rescued lady took to social media to thank those who raised the alarm, those who came to her rescue, and those who cared for her at the hospital. Why is that novel you ask? Because we don’t hear “thank you” often enough these days. Too often people take for granted the efforts of others, whether they are doing their job or volunteering, or just don’t get around to saying those words, “thank you”.

This incident also serves as a timely reminder to us all of the power and unpredictability of our ocean, and the presence of dangerous rips. We need to be always on the alert for ourselves, our families and visitors. Remember that many who visit our town would never have experienced ocean currents like we have in Lorne, and do not know how to identify a rip or what to do if they get caught in one.

The best advice I have heard is that if you are caught in a rip do not panic, but float and wait for assistance. There is a saying that “rips don’t drown people, people drown in rips”. The best way to avoid rips and other dangers is to swim between the flags. While it is not illegal to swim outside the flags, it is wise to swim between them. A gentle reminder to visitors could save lives.

*****

Our marauding cricket team have earned a spot in the Grand Final with a great win against ladder-leader Tomahawk Creek last Saturday. Batting first, Lorne completed their 40 overs with a score of 7/172. After taking some early wickets, Lorne had to withstand a spirited lower-order fightback to have their opposition all out for 144. They head to the Grand Final in Colac on Saturday March 9 with their eyes on the prize. Come along and support their finish to a great season.

Cheers

John Higgins – Chairman

Lorne Ward Events Calendar

March

• 5-10 – Open Studio Anna Reynolds

Join artist in residence for talks, informal workshops, printing, painting at Lorne Community Connect 10-4pm daily. No bookings needed.

• 9 – The Fire Next Time

Join Associate Professor Peter Christoff (editor) to discuss the revealing analysis of Australia’s most extreme bushfire season. 4pm at Lorne Community connect. Bookings: www.trybooking.com/cpghr or call 5289 2489

• 10 Lorne Aquatic & Angling Club – Major Fishing Competition No 2

Weigh cut off 12.30pm. Free roast lunch for competitors, $10 non-fishing members.

• 17 Deans Marsh Festival, Live music, local harvest, market stalls, dog jumping, kids events and much more

10 am – 6pm at Deans Marsh Reserve.

• 28-13/4 Photographic Exhibition, at Lorne Community Connect

1st prize $1,000, 2nd prize $500 submissions close 19 January 2024

• 30 Lorne Market

9-4pm https://www.lornemarkets.com/

• 31 Lorne Aquatic & Angling Club – Major Fishing Competition No 3

Weigh cut off 12.30pm. Free roast lunch for competitors, $10 non-fishing members.