Merri-bek City Council electoral structure review
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An electoral representation advisory panel is reviewing the electoral structure of Merri-bek City Council and is seeking your input.
The Local Government Act 2020 (the Act) introduced several changes, including to the electoral structures local councils must have. Throughout 2023–24, 39 Victorian local councils are undergoing electoral structure reviews to ensure they comply with the Act.
Merri-bek City Council is being reviewed by an electoral representation advisory panel, with administrative and technical support from the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC). The panel will consider:
- the appropriate number of councillors and wards for the council
- ward boundary locations
- ward names.
Public information sessions about the review will be held at 12 noon on Monday 16 October and 6 pm on Tuesday 17 October. Visit the VEC website and click the link to attend the live online event.
The panel will consider the requirements of the law to propose models for the council’s structure in a preliminary report. You will be able to share your views on this report and which model would best serve your community. This is known as a response submission.
The preliminary report is released and response submissions for the Merri-bek City Council review open on Wednesday 18 October 2023 and close at 5 pm on Wednesday 8 November.
At the end of the review, the panel will make a final recommendation to the Minister for Local Government. Any change to the electoral structure for Merri-bek City Council following this review is expected to apply at the next local council elections. To find out more visit vec.vic.gov.au or call 131 832.
The key dates for the review are below:
Public information sessions |
12 noon on Monday 16 October (online) 6 pm on Tuesday 17 October (online) |
Release of preliminary report and opening of response submissions period |
Wednesday 18 October |
Deadline for response submissions |
5 pm on Wednesday 8 November |
Public hearing* |
10 am on Tuesday 14 November |
Final report sent to minister |
Wednesday 13 December |
*A public hearing is scheduled for those who have requested to speak in support of their response submission. If there are no requests to speak, the hearing will not be held.
To find out more about the review process and how you can have your say, visit the Merri-bek City Council review page on the VEC website.