Find your new ward in the Surf Coast Shire

VOTERS in the Surf Coast Shire will be part of a new ward structure at this year’s local council election, with the city now comprising three wards with three councillors each.

The three wards in the municipality are down from four at the previous council election.

They are (with the number of electors as of March 2023):

• Torquay Ward (which is slightly smaller than the former ward of the same name) – 16sqkm, with 11,503 electors, a deviation of 2.32 per cent less than the average
• Winchelsea Ward (which now includes the north-western corner of the former Lorne Ward) – 980sqkm, with 10,144 electors, 13.86 per cent less than the average, and
• Otway Range Ward (which includes part of the former Torquay Ward, all of the former Anglesea Ward and the remaining part of the former Lorne Ward) – 560sqkm, with 13,683 electors, 16.19 per cent more than the average.

The Colac Otway Shire remains unsubdivided, with voters to elect seven councillors to represent the entire municipality.

Voting in this election is by post only.

The Victorian Electoral Commission will post ballot packs to all enrolled voters from October 7.

 

Your ballot pack will contain:

• A ballot paper
• Candidate statements
• A ballot paper envelope (for your vote to go in)
• A reply-paid envelope (for your ballot paper envelope to go in), and
• A leaflet with instructions in other languages.

Follow the instructions in your ballot pack to complete your vote.

Make sure you post it or drop it off at the election office before 6pm on October 25.

Local mail collection times differ. Check the collection time on your post box to make sure your vote is in the mail on time.

If you are going to be away between October 7 and October 25, you may still be able to vote.

For more information, including ballot pack redirection or voting early in person at the local VEC office, head to vec.vic.gov.au/voting/2024-local-council-elections/away-during-the-election

For more information about this year’s Surf Coast Shire or Colac Otway Shrire local council elections, including an interactive map showing the new wards, head to

vec.vic.gov.au/voting/2024-local-council-elections/surf-coast-shire-council or vec.vic.gov.au/voting/2024-local-council-elections/colac-otway-shire-council