Yarriambiack Shire faces a change to its councillor numbers when constituents go to the polls in 2024.
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An independent review panel assessed the electoral structure of 39 Victorian Councils, including Yarriambiack Shire, which currently operates with three wards and seven councillors.
The council will remain a three-ward council but will reduce its council component to six.
With an even number of councilors, the risk of tied votes is more significant, giving the mayor the deciding vote.
The review panel examined the council's composition, assessing whether an appropriate number of councillors existed and whether it should be undivided or subdivided.
The preliminary report presented three models for the panel's consideration, each aiming to align with the Local Government Act 2020 requirements.
The panel had the option of an unsubdivided electoral structure with seven councillors, a subdivided electoral structure with three wards and six councillors, or seven wards and a councillor in each ward.
![Changes to the local government structure across Victoria 2024. File picture Changes to the local government structure across Victoria 2024. File picture](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/yr8V78Ywr3nxnvznZ7ptfY/085a795e-48c2-4940-8401-ac9bca00e8fc.jpg/r0_143_601_647_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Following community consultation, which included submissions advocating for retaining wards and subdivisions, the Minister for Local Government, Melissa Horne, accepted the Electoral Representation Advisory Panel recommendation for Yarriambiack Shire Council to remain subdivided.
The accepted model, number two, has three wards, creating a multi-member ward structure in accordance with the Local Government Act 2020.
Tammy Smith, CEO of Yarriambiack Shire Council, clarified that "the primary changes would involve adjusting ward boundaries and reducing the number of councillors to six, with each ward having two councillor representatives.
The existing structure with an uneven distribution of councillors across wards comprised two for Hopetoun, three for Warracknabeal, and two for Dunmunkle.
That will change with one less councillor in Warracknabeal Ward.
Dunmunkle has 1949 registered voters, Hopetoun 1803 and Warracknabeal 1842.
Information sessions are planned to assist prospective candidates in understanding the roles and expectations of a councillor, along with outlining the candidate nomination process.
Yarriambiack Shire Council has joined the Municipal Association of Victoria's Stand for Council Program, with details of information sessions to be released in the coming months.