Legislative changes to the democratic electoral process for local government has now passed both houses of the Victorian Parliament.

 

The passage of the Local Government Amendment (Electoral Matters) Act will see the City of Melbourne undergo regular electoral representation reviews conducted by the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC). Melbourne City Council requested the change.

 

"The VEC will now consider whether the current number of councillors and electoral structure provide fair and equitable representation for voters in the City of Melbourne," Minister for Local Government Jeanette Powell said.

 

"These changes were necessary given the City of Melbourne has undergone significant demographic changes, including the inclusion of Docklands and parts of Kensington, since its electoral structures were assessed in 2001.

 

"The residents and rate payers of the City of Melbourne will now have the same rights enjoyed by all other Victorians.

 

"Electoral representation reviews provide the local community with the opportunity to influence their council's electoral structure," Mrs Powell said.

 

The amendments also brings forward the date of municipal elections from the last Saturday in November to the fourth Saturday in October. This change is designed to improve governance and forward planning for municipal councils and is supported by the local government sector.

 

"This reform is particularly important for new councillors who face the challenging task of learning councils' operations and preparing for their first council budget and council plan," Mrs Powell said.

 

"The date has been brought forward to allow councillors to be inducted into their new roles before the Christmas/New Year break."

 

The Act also enables the Minister to change the date of municipal elections in respect to one or more councils in exceptional circumstances, such as natural disasters or a clash with a state or federal election or school holidays.