In line with the changes made to the Local Government Act 2020, the Hepburn Shire Council is seeking input from community members regarding the future of their electoral structure.
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The changes being put forth will see one of three ward structures being adopted which includes either model one, an unsubdivided electoral structure with seven councillors; model two, a subdivided electoral structure with a total of eight councillors, four wards and two councillors per ward or model three, a subdivided electoral structure with a total of seven councillors, seven wards and one councillor per ward.
The Hepburn Shire Council, at present, has seven councillors across five wards.
Creswick ward Cr Don Henderson, who has served since October 2020, said he was opposed to a subdivided ward structure.
"A redistribution of wards would be a nail in the coffin for small regional shires," Cr Henderson said.
"I can't see how it would possibly work."
He said he was especially concerned with model two.
"I'm against having an even number of councillors because if the vote is tied it will mean the mayor will have all the decision making powers," Cr Henderson said.
"I'd much prefer an undivided system. It means every councillor would be answerable to all the people."
In a statement, Hepburn Shire mayor Brian Hood encouraged residents to have their say on the council's governance.
"This is the community's chance to let the advisory panel know their thoughts about how they prefer to see the electoral structure represented," Cr Hood said.
"Council will carefully consider the options."
The advisory panel, who will be conducting the electoral structure review of the council, will comprise retired Australian jurist Frank Vincent, public service medal recipient Ms Liz Williams and electoral commissioner Mr Warwick Gately.
Under the new amendments to the act, the Victorian Electoral Commission will not be responsible for reviewing council electoral structures. However, they will provide administrative and technical support to the panel.
Submissions for Hepburn Shire Council close at 5pm on Wednesday April 19 and a public hearing will take place at 10am on Wednesday April 26.
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Other neighbouring councils who are also seeking community feedback about their wards include the Central Goldfields Shire Council and the Moorabool Shire Council.
Ballarat Council will undergo a review of their ward restructure process to single-councillor wards on June 28.
This review is set to conclude on August 23.
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Malvika Hemanth
Malvika has a strong interest in covering stories on welfare, cost of living pressures and the arts. She works on the unceded lands of the Wadawurrung people and pays her respect to elders past, present and emerging.
Malvika has a strong interest in covering stories on welfare, cost of living pressures and the arts. She works on the unceded lands of the Wadawurrung people and pays her respect to elders past, present and emerging.
