Why the reviews were held
The Local Government Act 2020 (the Act) introduced several changes, including rules about the types of electoral structure councils can have.
In accordance with the Act, all Councils in Victoria must be structured in the following way:
- Metropolitan, interface and regional city Councils: Single-Councillor Wards.
- Large and small rural Shire Councils: Unsubdivided or Multi-Councillor Wards with equal number of Councillors per ward or Single-Councillor Wards.
The structures of 39 local Councils did not meet the requirements of the Act including the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council.
In April 2020, the Victorian Government committed to conducting electoral structure reviews for 39 Councils, which were undertaken by Electoral Representation Advisory Panels (ERAPs).
The Minister for Local Government appointed an ERAP to review the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council's electoral structure. The Panel's purpose was to advise the Minister on the appropriate number of Councillors and electoral structure, including Ward names, for the Council. Under the Act, Mornington Peninsula Shire Council must now have a single-councillor ward electoral structure.
The panel looked at:
- the appropriate number of Councillors and Wards for the Council
- the location of Ward boundaries
- appropriate Ward names.
The ERAPs provided their final reports to the Minister for Local Government. The Minister considered these reports and accepted the recommendations to alter the electoral structures of all 39 councils including the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council.
Under the Local Government Act 2020 (the Act), Orders in Council have set the final Council Electoral Structures, which are published in the Government Gazette.
The panel presented its final advice to the Minister on the recommended new electoral structure of Mornington Peninsula Shire Council to meet the requirements of the Act.