The Municipal Association of Victoria said the state leads the country in terms of its proportion of female councillors.

The October election resulted in a near six per cent increase in female representation at city hall's statewide, with females making up 43.8 per cent of elected councillors in 2020 compared to 38 per cent in 2016.

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Newly elected councillor Penny Flynn said more female councillors helps provide a better representation of the gender split in the community.

"We have got representation at the table that reflects the people who live in our community and that helps to understand a broader range of issues," Cr Flynn said.

Cr Robyn Gulline said the different backgrounds, knowledge and lived experiences of all councillors is exciting.

"We are all very active in the community, but bizarrely, we don't know each other very well," Cr Gulline said.

"I think we are all in touch with such a broad cross section of the community and that's great for decision making."

Of HRCC's eight newly elected councillors, four are female.

Les Power is the only councillor to have served on the most recent council.

The number of LGBTIQ+ candidates elected to Victorian councils has also increased, from 11 in 2016 to at least 28 in 2020.

MAV chief executive Kerry Thompson said the election results show that communities recognise the importance of having elected representatives that reflect the diversity of the communities they represent.

"Local government will be at the forefront of the social and economic recovery from COVID-19, so it is important that we have councillors who understand the different challenges and opportunities within their municipalities," Ms Thompson said.

HRCC councillors got to know each other last Monday during an induction and training day, ahead of a statutory meeting on Thursday, November 19 to elect the Mayor and Deputy Mayor.

The calendar year's remaining two council meetings will take place on Monday, November 30 and Monday, December 14.

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