By LIAM DURKIN
NOMINATIONS for Latrobe City Council elections closed at 12pm on Tuesday, September 17.
Twenty people have nominated for local council positions.
There are nine single-person wards to be filled, although one position has already been decided.
Current Latrobe City Councillor Sharon Gibson is assured a spot on council, as she is the only person contesting the Newborough Ward.
Of the nine current councillors, seven have nominated to go again. Only Brad Law and Dan Clancey have decided not to seek re-election.
The Jeeralang, Morwell and Loy Yang wards are looming as the most hotly contested, as each have three candidates fighting for one vacancy.
Preferences will not play a role in the remaining wards (Boola Boola, Budgeree, Moe, Tyers, Yallourn), given there is only two candidates in each.
Across the state, there is 2231 candidates nominated for 646 council vacancies in 466 separate elections. The number of candidates this year is higher than the 2186 candidates who nominated for 622 councillor vacancies in 298 separate elections at the 2020 council elections.
The number of nominations for this year’s Melbourne City Council elections is higher than in 2020. This year, there are 11 teams competing for the Leadership Team of Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor (compared to nine teams in the 2020 election) and 58 nominations for the nine councillor vacancies (compared to 59 in 2020).
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 (near Horsham) were uncontested, which means the general election for that council is entirely uncontested.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
There are nine wards for nine vacancies.
Ward boundaries have been changed for this election, doing away with the previous three-ward structure.
Current councillors Brad Law (West Ward) and Dan Clancey (East Ward) are not seeking re-election.
As the Newborough Ward is uncontested, there will be no voting.
Voting in this election is by post only. Ballot packs will be posted from Monday, October 7. Voting closes at 6pm on Friday, October 25. All election results declared on Friday, November 15.
CANDIDATES (IN BALLOT ORDER)
Boola Boola Ward: Kellie O’Callaghan, David Barnes
Budgeree Ward: Leanne Potter, Melissa Ferguson
Jeeralang Ward: Peter Duncan, Joanne Campbell, Alex Maidana
Loy Yang Ward: Paul Howden, Jimmy Ware, Dale Harriman
Moe Ward: Guss Lambden, Adele Pugsley
Morwell River Ward: Dorothy Long, John Ellingham, Tracie Lund
Newborough Ward: Sharon Gibson
Tyers Ward: Darren Howe, David Little
Yallourn Ward: Steph Morgan, Graeme Middlemiss
