Process for wards in Wodonga, Wangaratta councils to be revealed

The municipalities are among cities across Victoria which are being divided into single-councillor wards in response to the Local Government Act 2020.

Wangaratta has had one ward with four councillors and three with a lone representative since the divisions were re-introduced in 2016.

Since it was reshaped in 1994, after council amalgamations, Wodonga has been without wards.

Public briefings to discuss plans for Wodonga will be held online at noon on July 3 and 6pm on July 4.

A preliminary report will then be published on July 5, with submissions being taken until 5pm July 26.

The same process will unfold for Wangaratta a week later with information sessions at noon on July 10 and 6pm July 11, followed by a report on July 12 and feedback being open to 5pm August 2.

Details can be found at the Victorian Electoral Commission's website by clicking on Local council structure review on its homepage.

At the November 2022 Wodonga meeting, councillors spoke against wards with Danny Lowe saying it would encourage parochialism and declaring "I don't think that's a good way to govern".

In a letter to be sent to Local Government Minister Melissa Horne, after approval at the June 2023 council meeting, mayor Ron Mildren flags the city's beef with wards.

"Each council area should be viewed in the context of the local circumstances," Cr Mildren wrote.

"Arbitrary delineation of ward boundaries within a uniform or homogeneous socioeconomic, cultural and geographic municipality will likely be counterproductive and generate unnecessary and unwarranted division and parochialism.

"Council...believes...ward-based electoral structures are not a solution in circumstances like Wodonga where the land area is relatively small and the community generally homogeneous."

In her report, Wodonga's monitor Janet Dore noted issues with wards in the city.

Interestingly Ms Dore is one of the alternative panel members for the wards review.

The panel overseeing Wodonga and Wangaratta consists of retired Supreme Court judge Frank Vincent as chair and public servant Liz Williams and acting deputy electoral commissioner Mairead Doyle.

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