26-737: The City of Warrnambool is a local government area in the Barwon South West region of Victoria , Australia, located in the south-western part of the state. It covers an area of 121 square kilometres (47 sq mi) and in June 2018 had a population of 34,862. It is entirely surrounded by the Shire of Moyne and the Southern Ocean . It is one of only a few regional councils in Victoria to remain serving just one urban district after
52-648: A councillor". This requirement was introduced at the 2020 elections as a result of the Local Government Act 2020 , and candidates who do not complete the training are ineligible to nominate. No other state has these requirements for any elections. Following the close of nominations, the VEC announced that four candidates were "retired" after it was found they had not completed the required training. These candidates were retired prior to ballot papers being printed, and will not appear on any ballots. However,
78-439: A further 16 candidates were retired after 30 September 2024, which was after ballot papers had been printed. This means that while they will remain on the ballot, they are not eligible to serve as a councillor and their votes will be distributed to other candidates according to voters' preferences. The retirements have brought the total number of candidates down to 2,211. A number of councillors joined or left parties before
104-467: A political party, including both endorsed and non-endorsed candidates. A total of 2,231 people nominated to contest the elections − 45 more than the amount that contested the 2020 elections . More than 60 candidates were Greek Australians . All candidates in Victorian local elections are required to complete mandatory training to "help [candidates] understand the role and responsibilities of being
130-798: Is a list of former local government areas in Victoria. Many of these existed from the 19th century until the 1994 statewite local government amalgamations . This is a list of former Greater Melbourne local government areas. These local government areas were considered part of Greater Melbourne at the time of their dissolution. City of Merri-bek City of Darebin Shire of Nillumbik City of Darebin City of Hobsons Bay Shire of Mornington Peninsula City of Darebin City of Moonee Valley City of Hume City of Bayside City of Kingston City of Bayside City of Darebin City of Kingston City of Port Phillip City of Kingston City of Maribyrnong This
156-656: Is a list of former regional local government areas around Geelong and surrounding the Greater Melbourne area. These local government areas were not considered part of Greater Melbourne at the time of their dissolution. Surf Coast Shire City of Greater Dandenong City of Frankston City of Greater Dandenong Bass Coast Shire Shire of Mornington Peninsula Shire of Murrindindi City of Banyule Shire of Cardinia City of Knox Surf Coast Shire 2024 Victorian local elections The 2024 Victorian local elections were held on 26 October 2024 to elect
182-552: Is also the location of the council's administrative activities. It also provides customer services at its administrative centre in Warrnambool. The city of Warrnambool is dominated by the Warrnambool urban area, which represents 35.0 square kilometres (13.5 sq mi), or 29.0%, of the city's area and at the 2006 census had a population of 28,150. The 2021 census, the city had a population of 35,406 up from 33,655 in
208-410: Is called a city and is governed by a city council, while a rural LGA covering a larger rural area is usually called a shire and is governed by a shire council. Local councils have the same administrative functions and similar political structures, regardless of their classification. Local elections are held in Victoria every four years with the most recent elections held in 2024. (2021) This
234-595: Is scheduled to be held in October 2028 . 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. He was replaced via countback in March 2022 by Socialist Alliance 's Monica Harte. On 31 March 2023, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal found that El-Halabi
260-667: The Manningham Leader that she was "shocked" that anyone had an issue with her attendance and said she was "never told not to attend". The Israel–Hamas war was the subject of campaigning in the local elections. As was the case at the New South Wales local elections in September , a group called "We Vote For Palestine" asked candidates to sign their pledge, which included supporting a ceasefire and divesting from Israel . The total statewide vote increased for
286-740: The Greens , who won 28 councillors (a decrease of eight from 2020 , but the same amount they held before the elections). In Yarra , which elected a majority Greens council in 2020, the party went from five councillors to two, although the council-wide vote percentage remained almost unchanged. The party also lost all representation in Glen Eira , Port Phillip and Stonnington and lost one of its two seats in Melbourne . Greens candidates were elected in Bass Coast , Campaspe and Frankston for
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#1732775990207312-417: The Local Government Act 2020 , which will see a large number of multi-member wards replaced with single-member wards . This significantly increases the number of wards but will likely reduce the average number of candidates standing in these wards. No election was held for Moira Shire after the council was dismissed in March 2023 and a panel of administrators was appointed. The next election for Moira
338-486: The 2016 census ^ – Territory divided with another LGA 38°28′00″S 142°28′00″E / 38.46667°S 142.46667°E / -38.46667; 142.46667 Local government areas of Victoria This is a list of local government areas (LGAs) in Victoria , sorted by region. Also referred to as municipalities, the 79 Victorian LGAs are classified as cities (34), shires (38), rural cities (6) and boroughs (1). In general, an urban or suburban LGA
364-477: The 2024 elections, including three councillors who joined the Victorians Party before it dissolved in September 2022. Voting takes place throughout October. In Manningham , Westerfolds Ward candidate Isabella Eltaha received criticism after handing out campaign flyers at Saint Haralambos Greek Orthodox Church "despite being explicitly asked not to campaign during a Sunday service". Eltaha told
390-477: The amalgamation process of 1994, although through that process it did gain some portions of the former Shire of Warrnambool . The city is governed and administered by the Warrnambool City Council ; its seat of local government and administrative centre is located at the council headquarters in the central district of Warrnambool . The city is named after the main urban settlement located in
416-605: The centre of the LGA, that is Warrnambool, which is also the LGA's most populous urban centre with a population of 28,413. Warrnambool was first incorporated as a municipality on 7 December 1855. It became a borough on 1 October 1863, and a town on 2 February 1883. It was proclaimed as a city on 8 April 1918. On 25 October 1955 and 1 October 1978, it annexed part of the south riding of the Shire of Warrnambool, expanding its area progressively to 34.43 square kilometres (13.29 sq mi) by
442-708: The councils of 78 of the 79 local government areas (LGAs) in Victoria , Australia. The elections were conducted by the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC), with voting taking place via post throughout October to elect 647 councillors across the state. New councillors were elected in Casey and Whittlesea for the first time since 2016 after the councils were dismissed in February and March 2020 respectively. 39 councils were affected by
468-554: The decision was made to keep the seven councillors, but abolish the wards, as the review concluded that the geography and natural features of Warrnambool didn't support the retention of equal wards, and that the City of Warrnambool as a whole was a single community of interest. Former wards from 1996 to 2004: The council meets in the council chambers at the council headquarters in the Warrnambool Civic Centre, which
494-561: The first time. In the almost 80 wards that the Victorian Socialists contested, the party had an average first preference vote of 10.8%. Owen Cosgriff was elected to Whipstick Ward in Greater Bendigo , becoming the party's first candidate elected outside of Greater Melbourne and its first elected to a single-member district at any level of government. Cosgriff had 40.7% of first preferences and 52.7% of
520-689: The only LGA in Victoria where this is the case. Property investors and business owners do not have to be Australian citizens to vote. At the 2020 election , the Melbourne City Council electoral roll was composed of 55.1% business and out-of-the-area property owners, with local residents making up the remaining 44.9%. 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 ). The Liberal Party typically does not endorse candidates, however
546-607: 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. Local party branches also often make their own endorsements. The Animal Justice Party , Fusion Party , Libertarian Party , Socialist Alliance and the Victorian Socialists are all endorsing candidates. Analysis from The Age found that 47% of candidates in Greater Melbourne were members of
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#1732775990207572-438: The party. Like in state and federal elections, Victorian local elections use full preferential voting , meaning voters must number every candidate. With the exception of Melbourne City Council , which has a "Leadership Team" election (consisting of a lord mayor and deputy lord mayor ), mayors are not directly-elected and are instead chosen by councillors. Businesses are given two votes in Melbourne City Council elections,
598-425: The time of Victoria's local government amalgamations. In 1993, the new Kennett Liberal government announced a program of local government reform, in which many of Victoria's 210 councils were to be amalgamated. The southwest region containing 23 councils was the first to be reviewed, and the City of Warrnambool sought to be part of the process early on. Warrnambool's strength in tertiary education and manufacturing
624-694: Was declared on 10 November 2020, with the Councillors sworn into office on 23 November 2020. At their first meeting, Councillors resolved to elect both a Mayor and Deputy Mayor, each for a term of 12 months. Prior to the statewide amalgamations of the 1990s, the council had four wards and twelve councillors, with three councillors per ward elected to represent each ward; the former wards were Albert, Hopkins, Merri and Victoria. The new council then had, until 2004, seven wards and seven councillors, with one councillor per ward elected to represent each ward. However post-2004, following an electoral representation review,
650-568: Was taken into account. By June, it was clear that Warrnambool would be the only municipality in the region to be spared, and that it would gain Allansford and some other rural areas from the Shire of Warrnambool . On 23 September 1994, the council was dismissed and replaced with a Government-appointed commissioner. It first held elections for a new council in March 1996. The council is composed of seven councillors elected to represent an unsubdivided municipality. The most recent council election
676-618: Was unduly elected. He has denied all allegations. 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. In April 2024, both Greens councillors in Monash − Anjalee de Silva and Josh Fergeus − left
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