September 26th, 2024Council candidates put their hands up

With the close of nominations and ballot draws for this year’s local council elections, 2231 candidates nominated for 646 council vacancies in 466 separate electorates.      

Hepburn Shire has 12 candidates for its seven vacancies.      

In the order they will appear on the ballot in the upcoming postal vote they are:  Don Henderson, Tony Clark, Christian Porochowsky, Tim Drylie, Derek Sedgman,  Benny Pettersson, Brian Hood, Cameron Stone, Pat Hockey, Lesley Hewitt, Shirley  Cornish and Bernie Winfield-Gray.      

Of the 12 candidates, four are former councillors.      

Following a review in 2023, the Minister for Local Government announced a new electoral structure for Hepburn Shire.      

The changes see the shire move from five wards with seven councillors, to no wards with seven councillors.

Voters will be able to vote for any candidate, regardless of where they or the candidate live in the municipality.      

The election will be conducted by mail in October.    

  A Victorian Electoral Commission media release said the number of candidates this year was higher than the 2186 candidates who nominated for 622 councillor vacancies in 298 separate electorates at the 2020 council elections.     

 “As of the close of nominations, 42 of the 466 individual elections are uncontested, where the number of candidates is equal to the number of vacancies.     

 “All wards in Yarriambiack Shire Council were uncontested, which means the general election for that council is entirely uncontested. Voters in these uncontested elections will not be required to vote.”  

Words: Donna Kelly