Spring 2024 - Local government integrity matters

Chief Municipal Inspector's Introduction

Welcome to the spring issue of our quarterly newsletter.

The last weekend in October saw the Victorian Electoral Commission deliver 424 local government elections across the state, after what has been an extraordinarily busy election period.

The 2024 local government elections saw 2,211 nominations for 646 council vacancies in 424 individual elections. Of the 2,211 nominations, more than 410 candidates were returning councillors. Voters in 42 elections did not need to vote as their elections were uncontested. Prior to the election date, VEC retired 20 candidates.

The most contested ward of the election was Bayside City Council’s Dendy Ward, with 18 candidates nominating for one vacancy. Following closely was Bayside’s Castlefield Ward and Wyndham City Council’s Bemin Ward; with 15 nominations for one vacancy respectively.

My office has worked tirelessly in partnership with the VEC and our other government integrity counterparts to ensure a smooth election complaints process. To date, the Inspectorate has received in excess of 1,000 complaints, an increase from last election’s total of 848 complaints. The majority of the complaints in this year’s election concerned authorisation of materials and misleading or deceptive materials.

Throughout this election period, my office has provided ongoing guidance and support to new and returning candidates by way of our online election resource centre. These resources have included fact sheets, guidance documents, Frequently Asked Questions and links to mandatory candidate awareness training. These resources were developed and shared directly with all nominating candidates during the election period.

In the coming weeks, new and returning councillors will undergo a formal induction process to support them in their elected roles.

The Inspectorate will provide a clearer picture of the complaint volume and related analysis in the next newsletter, following preparation of its post-election report.

Michael Stefanovic AM
Chief Municipal Inspector