By Charlene Gatt
THE Victorian Electoral Commission wants to change Maribyrnong City Council’s ward boundaries to accommodate future population growth.
In its preliminary report, released last week, the VEC recommended that the municipality should keep seven single-councillor wards, but only with changes to existing ward boundaries.
The proposed changes include placing the entire suburb of Yarraville within Wattle Ward, extending the boundaries of Stony Creek Ward and redefining Sheoak Ward to include all of Seddon.
Under the plan, Saltwater Ward is also altered to include most of Footscray and Ironbark Ward is enlarged to meet the lower boundary of the Medway Golf Club and some of the former Bluestone Ward.
“This structure keeps as close as possible to the original ward structure, while allowing for future population growth,” the report explained.
Another two alternative options are also being presented for public comment.
The first alternative option is for a three ward structure with two two-councillor wards and one three-councillor ward.
The second alternative option is for Maribyrnong City Council to increase to nine councillors with three three-councillor wards.
The Local Government Act requires the VEC to conduct a review of each council in Victoria at least every 12 years to ensure that the number of voters represented by each councillor is within 10 per cent of the average number of voters for that municipality.
The VEC had to consider whether there was an appropriate number of councillors for Maribyrnong; whether the municipality should be divided into wards; and the number of wards and positioning of ward boundaries.
