2024 Victorian local elections
 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
78 of the 79 local government areas in Victoria | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 2024 Victorian local elections will be held in October 2024 to elect the councils of 78 of the 79 local government areas (LGAs) in Victoria, Australia.[1]
No election will be held for Moira Shire after the council was dismissed in March 2023 and a panel of administrators was appointed.[2] The next election for Moira is scheduled to be held in October 2028.[3][4]
New councillors will be elected in Casey and Whittlesea for the first time since 2016 after the councils were dismissed in February and March 2020 respectively.[5][6]
39 councils are set to be affected as a result of the Local Government Act 2020, which will see a large number of multi-member wards replaced with single-member wards.[7][8] This significantly increases the number of wards but will likely reduce the average number of candidates standing in these wards.[9]
Background
[edit]In February 2022, Labor councillor Milad El-Halabi resigned from Moreland City Council after being charged with conspiracy to cheat and defraud for allegedly tampering with the council elections.[10] He was replaced via countback in March 2022 by Socialist Alliance's Monica Harte.[11]
On 31 March 2023, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal found that El-Halabi was unduly elected. He has denied all allegations.[12]
Greens resignations
[edit]The Greens have had five of its councillors resign from the party since the 2020 elections, and a further four seats have been lost due to resignations and deaths, reducing its total number from 36 to 28 as of July 2024.
James Conlan (Merri-bek) left the party in solidarity with senator Lidia Thorpe, Amanda Stone (Yarra) resigned in February 2023, and Anab Mohamud (Yarra) resigned in February 2024.[13]
In April 2024, both Greens councillors in Monash − Anjalee de Silva and Josh Fergeus − left the party.[14]
Candidates
[edit]Results
[edit]Political parties
[edit]The Greens endorse all candidates for local elections, while Labor Party members can either by formally endorsed or stand as "non-endorsed, supported candidates" (otherwise referred to as Independent Labor).[15][16][17]
The Liberal Party typically does not endorse candidates, however the party has an endorsed ticket for the Melbourne City Council leadership team (lord mayor and deputy lord mayor) for the first time in party history.[18] Local party branches also often make their own endorsements.[19][20]
Party changes before elections
[edit]A number of councillors joined or left parties before the 2024 elections, including three councillors who joined the Victorians Party before it dissolved in September 2022.[21]
| Council | Ward | Councillor | Former party | New party | Date | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hepburn | Creswick | Tim Drylie | Independent | Greens | Unknown date | ||
| Melbourne | Unsubdivided | Jason Chang | Team Arron Wood | Independent | 2021 | ||
| Banyule | Grimshaw | Rick Garotti | Labor | Independent | 8 February 2021 | ||
| Boroondara | Solway | Garry Thompson | Liberal | Independent | Mid-2021 | ||
| Moreland | North-West | Oscar Yildiz | Independent | Victorians | 26 November 2021 | ||
| Moreland | North-West | Milad El-Halabi | Labor | Independent Labor | 10 February 2022 | ||
| Swan Hill | Central | Stuart King | Independent | United Australia | 18 February 2022 | ||
| Melbourne | Unsubdivided | Philip Le Liu | Bring Back Melbourne | Victorians | 24 June 2022 | ||
| Moreland | North-East | Helen Pavlidis-Mihalakos | Independent | Victorians | 24 June 2022 | ||
| Melbourne | Unsubdivided | Philip Le Liu | Victorians | Bring Back Melbourne | 15 September 2022 | ||
| Moreland | North-West | Oscar Yildiz | Victorians | Independent | 15 September 2022 | ||
| Moreland | North-East | Helen Pavlidis-Mihalakos | Victorians | Independent | 15 September 2022 | ||
| Yarra | Nicholls | Amanda Stone | Greens | Independent | 6 February 2023 | ||
| Merri-bek | South | James Conlan | Greens | Independent | 7 February 2023 | ||
| Stonnington | East | Joe Gianfriddo | Angry Victorians | Independent | 29 June 2023 | ||
| Colac Otway | Unsubdivided | Tosh-Jake Finnigan | Sack Dan Andrews | Independent | 22 December 2023 | ||
| Yarra | Langridge | Stephen Jolly | Independent Socialist | Yarra for All | February 2024 | ||
| Yarra | Langridge | Michael Glynatsis | Independent | Yarra for All | February 2024 | ||
| Yarra | Nicholls | Bridgid O'Brien | Independent Socialist | Yarra for All | February 2024 | ||
| Yarra | Langridge | Anab Mohamud | Greens | Independent | 27 February 2024 | ||
| Monash | Mount Waverley | Anjalee de Silva | Greens | Independent | 8 April 2024 | ||
| Monash | Oakleigh | Josh Fergeus | Greens | Independent | 8 April 2024 | ||
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "2024 local council elections". Victorian Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 9 July 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
- ^ "'Extraordinary' step to sack Moira Shire Council 'not taken lightly', says Victorian government minister". ABC News. 8 March 2023. Archived from the original on 6 July 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
- ^ "Council elections". Moira Shire. Archived from the original on 21 April 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
- ^ "Moira Shire Council". Victorian Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 25 March 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
This council was dismissed by an Act of Parliament in March 2023. The next election will be in October 2028.
- ^ "Casey City Council". Victorian Electoral Commission.
- ^ "Parliament dismisses the Council". City of Whittlesea. 19 March 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
- ^ "Local Government Act 2020". Local Government Victoria. 8 May 2023.
- ^ Raue, Ben (26 May 2023). "Victorian council ward reviews eradicating PR in Melbourne". The Tally Room.
- ^ Page, G (2022), Inquiry into the 2022 federal election, Submission 331, https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Electoral_Matters/2022federalelection/Submissions
- ^ "Councillor resigns following electoral fraud charges as VCAT mulls fresh election". The Age. 10 February 2022.
- ^ "Second socialist elected in Moreland, after Labor property developer steps down". Green Left. 23 March 2022.
- ^ Morgan, Cassandra (31 March 2023). "Votes tampered with in Melbourne council poll: tribunal". The West Australian.
- ^ Waters, Cara (7 February 2023). "Merri-bek councillor resigns from Greens in solidarity with Lidia Thorpe". The Age.
- ^ "Greens councillors tear up membership, slam leadership over 'surveillance, disinformation, fear'". The Age. 30 April 2024.
- ^ "Local Council Representatives". The Greens.
- ^ "Australian Labor Party Victorian Branch Rules" (PDF). Victorian Labor Party. 14 September 2020. p. 56. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
Obligations of Non Endorsed Supported Candidates
- ^ Raue, Ben. "Monash council election, 2024". The Tally Room. Archived from the original on 9 September 2024. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
- ^ Placella, Laura; Douglas, Carly (21 July 2024). "Liberal Party to endorse Melbourne lord mayor for first time in history". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 29 July 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ "Labor distances itself from 'Islamophobic' Darebin council candidate". The Age. 8 October 2020.
- ^ "Boroondara City Council – Burwood Liberals". Retrieved 11 November 2020.
- ^ "Victorians Party announce abrupt exit from state election race, citing finance difficulties". Herald Sun.
