2016 Victorian local elections

2016 Victorian local elections

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  First party Second party Third party
 
IND
SOC
Leader N/A Greg Barber No leader
Party Independents Greens The Socialists
Last election 18 seats Did not exist
Seats before 16 1
Seats won 29 1
Seat change Increase 13 Steady

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
SA
RUAP
LDP
Leader No leader None No leader
Party Socialist Alliance Rise Up Liberal Democrats
Last election 1 seat 1 seat 0
Seats before 1 1 0
Seats won 1 1 1
Seat change Steady Steady Increase 1

  Seventh party
 
CA
Leader Russell Bate
Party Country Alliance
Last election 1
Seats before 1
Seats won 0
Seat change Decrease 1

The 2016 Victorian local elections were held on 22 October 2016 to elect the councils of the 79 local government areas in Victoria, Australia.[1][2]

The elections saw the largest-ever amount of Greens councillors elected, with the party increasing their local government representatives from 17 to 29.[3] The Labor Party and Liberal Party did not endorse any candidates.[4]

Party changes before elections

[edit]

A number of councillors joined or left parties before the 2016 elections.

Council Ward Councillor Former party New party Date
Campaspe Kyabram Robert Danieli   Independent   Katter's Australian November/December 2012
Darebin Cazaly Vince Fontana   Labor   Independent 6 December 2012[5][6]
Darebin Cazaly Vince Fontana   Independent   Mutual 30 January 2014[7]
Darebin Cazaly Julie Williams   Independent   Mutual 30 January 2014[7]
Glen Eira Rosstown Neil Pilling   Greens   Independent 20 May 2014[8]
Darebin La Trobe Gaetano Greco   Labor   Independent Post-May 2014[9]
Darebin Cazaly Vince Fontana   Mutual   Independent 2014
Darebin Cazaly Julie Williams   Mutual   Independent 2014
Moreland North-West John Kavanagh   Democratic Labour   Independent 2014
Moonee Valley Myrnong Cam Nation   Independent Liberal   No East West Link 15 September 2014[10][11]
Moyne Unsubdivided James Purcell   Independent   Vote 1 Local Jobs October 2014[12]
Moyne Unsubdivided Jim Doukas   Independent   Country Alliance October 2014[13][14]
Greater Bendigo Lockwood Elise Chapman   Independent   Country Alliance 15 October 2014[15]
Greater Geelong Austin John Irvine   Independent   Country Alliance 16 October 2014[16][17]
Port Phillip Albert Park Amanda Stevens   Labor   Independent Labor 26 February 2015[18]
Moonee Valley Myrnong Cam Nation   No East West Link   Independent 2015
Greater Bendigo Lockwood Elise Chapman   Country Alliance   Independent 2015
Greater Geelong Austin John Irvine   Country Alliance   Independent 2015
Greater Bendigo Lockwood Elise Chapman   Independent   One Nation 8 January 2016[19]
Yarra Langridge Stephen Jolly   Socialist   The Socialists 22 February 2016[20]
Moonee Valley Rose Hill John Sipek   Labor   Independent Mid-2016[21]
Darebin Cazaly Julie Williams   Independent   Labor Pre-October 2016[22]

Results

[edit]
Party Votes % Swing Seats Change
  Independents
  Labor
  Liberal
  Burwood Liberals
  Greens 29 Increase 11
  Independent National
  Team Doyle 27,116 3
  Together Melbourne 6,578 1
  Phil Cleary Means Business 5,667 1
  Stephen Mayne T.I.A.E. 3,666 0
  Team Morgan - A City That Works 3,557 1
  Strengthening Melbourne 1,905 0
  Listening To Locals 1,718 0
  An Indigenous Voice On Council 1,534 1 Increase 1
  Serving Melbourne With Integrity 1,519 0
  The Light On The Hill Team 960 0
  The Heritage Agenda 816 0
  Melburnian Voice 808 0
  Science 82 0 Steady
  Liberal Democrats 1 Increase 1
  The Socialists 1 Increase 1
  Rise Up Australia 1 Steady
  Socialist Alliance 1 Steady
  Animal Justice 0 Steady
  Independent Labor

Aftermath

[edit]

On 8 November, Melbourne councillor-elect Brooke Wandin (An Indigenous Voice On Council) stood down from her position amid an investigation by the Local Government Investigations and Compliance Inspectorate into her eligibility.[23] Wandin and former councillor Richard Foster were later charged with electoral fraud, with prosecutors alleging Wandin did not live at the Kensington address she had nominated when registering for election.[24] Both parties plead guilty to charges of electoral fraud; Foster received a 12-month good behaviour bond, while Wandin was placed onto a diversion program. Nic Frances Gilley was declared elected in Wandin's place.[25]

Additionally in Melbourne, Phil Cleary Means Business councillor Michael Caiafa lost his seat in March 2017 after it was determined he was not duly elected. Team Doyle's Susan Riley was declared elected in his place.[26]

In April 2017, hundreds of people reported receiving infringement notices for allegedly having not voted, despite claiming that they had.[27]

By-elections and countbacks

[edit]

The Victorian Electoral Commission held a number of by-elections and countbacks to fill vacancies on councils after the 2016 elections up until the 2020 elections.

Casey City Council was sacked on 18 February 2020 before two countbacks could occur.[28]

By-elections

[edit]
Council Ward Before Change Result after preference distribution
Councillor Party Cause Date Date Party Candidate %
Northern Grampians South West Sharon Telford Independent Resignation 5 October 2017 17 February 2018 Independent Stephen Gardner 52.17
Independent Christine Fitzgerald 47.83
Pyrenees Beaufort Michael O'Connor Independent Death 15 May 2018 17 August 2018 Independent Damian Ferrari 51.16
Independent Barbara Blamey[a] 32.56
Knox Collier Jackson Taylor Labor Elected to Victorian Parliament 6 December 2018 30 March 2019 Independent Marcia Timmers-Leitch 53.04
Independent Robert Williams[a] 28.87
Hepburn Coliban Sebastian Klein Independent Resignation 18 December 2018 5 April 2019 Ind. Labor Licia Kokocinski 58.82
Independent John McLaren 41.18
Swan Hill Murray-Mallee Gary Norton Independent Resignation 2 January 2019 29 March 2019 Independent Nicole McKay 63.61
Independent Allen Ridgeway 36.39
Swan Hill Robinvale John Katis Independent Resignation 14 January 2019 29 March 2019 Ind. National Jade Benham N/A
Elected unopposed
Surf Coast Anglesea Libby Coker Labor Election to Australian Parliament 15 June 2019 30 August 2019 Independent Tony Revell 62.24
Independent Harry Rosson 37.76
Moorabool Woodlands Pat Toohey Independent Death 19 September 2019 14 December 2019 Independent Lawry Borgelt 50.10
Independent Ally Giofches[a] 36.88
Strathbogie Honeysuckle Creek Kate Stothers Independent Resignation 24 December 2019 21 March 2020 Independent Chris Raeburn 53.29
Independent Tom Maher[a] 21.71
Corangamite Central Wayne Oakes Independent Death 19 April 2020 27 June 2020 Independent Geraldine Conheadyn 57.85
Independent Michael Emerson 42.15

Countbacks

[edit]
Council Ward Before Change After
Councillor Party Cause Date Date Councillor Party
Queenscliffe Unsubdivided Helene Cameron   Independent Resignation 2 November 2016 21 November 2016 Bob Merriman   Independent
Melbourne Unsubdivided Brooke Wandin   Indigenous Voice On Council Not eligible to stand 8 November 2016 14 March 2017 Nic Frances Gilley   Indigenous Voice On Council
East Gippsland Unsubdivided Linette Treasure   Independent Resignation 16 January 2017 14 February 2017 Jackson Roberts   Independent
Casey Mayfield Rex Flannery   Independent Resignation 8 March 2017 3 April 2017 Gary Rowe   Liberal
Melbourne Unsubdivided Michael Caiafa   Phil Cleary Means Business Not duly elected 14 March 2017 14 March 2017 Susan Riley   Team Doyle
Whitehorse Elgar Tanya Tescher   Burwood Liberals Resignation 3 April 2017 9 May 2017 Blair Barker   Burwood Liberals
Whittlesea North John Butler   Liberal Death 6 September 2017 4 October 2017 Tom Joseph   Independent
Wangaratta City Ruth Amer   Independent Death 5 October 2017 13 November 2017 Ashlee Fitzpatrick   Independent
Wellington Northern Keith Mills   Independent Resignation 23 October 2017 15 November 2017 Carmel Ripper   Independent
Mount Alexander Castlemaine Tony Bell   Independent Resignation 9 October 2017 22 November 2017 Dave Petrusma   Independent
Moreland South Samantha Ratnam   Greens Elected to Victorian Parliament 11 October 2017 22 November 2017 Jess Dorney   Greens
Ararat Unsubdivided Paul Hooper   Independent Resignation 1 November 2017 29 November 2017 Bill Braithwaite   Independent
Melbourne Unsubdivided Tessa Sullivan   Team Doyle Resignation 15 December 2017 15 January 2018 Beverley Pinder-Mortimer   Team Doyle
Mount Alexander Castlemaine Robin Taylor   Independent Resignation 13 February 2018 7 March 2018 Max Lesser   Independent
Ararat Unsubdivided Glenda McLean   Independent Resignation 20 April 2018 21 May 2018 Fay Hull   Independent
Ararat Unsubdivided Darren Ford   Independent Resignation 9 May 2018 6 June 2018 Frank Deutsch   Independent
Maroondah Wyreena Michael Macdonald   Independent Resignation 25 June 2018 16 July 2018 Tasa Damante   Liberal
Pyrenees Beaufort Darren Ford   Independent Resignation 9 May 2018 6 June 2018 Frank Deutsch   Independent
Colac Otway Unsubdivided Terry Woodcroft   Independent Resignation 6 August 2018 27 August 2018 Brian Crook   Independent
South Gippsland Tarwin Valley Maxine Kiel   Independent Resignation 26 September 2018 22 October 2018 Rosemary Cousin   Greens
Greater Bendigo Whipstick Julie Hoskin   Independent Resignation 21 September 2018 23 October 2018 Malcolm Pethybridge   Independent
South Gippsland Tarwin Valley Meg Edwards   Liberal Resignation 30 October 2018 5 November 2018 James Fawcett   Independent
Mildura Unsubdivided Max Thorburn   Independent Death 18 October 2018 13 November 2018 Gavin Sedgmen   Independent Liberal
Dandenong Paperbark Meng Heang Tak   Labor Elected to Victorian Parliament 27 November 2018 8 January 2019 Sophie Tan   Labor
Corangamite Central Bev McArthur   Liberal Elected to Victorian Parliament 6 December 2018 18 December 2018 Wayne Oakes   Independent
Mildura Unsubdivided Ali Cupper   Independent Elected to Victorian Parliament 7 December 2018 15 January 2019 Helen Healy   Independent
Maribyrnong Stony Creek Catherine Cumming   Justice Elected to Victorian Parliament 11 December 2018 21 January 2019 Megan Bridger-Darling   Labor
Glen Eira Tucker Nina Taylor   Labor Elected to Victorian Parliament 12 December 2018 9 January 2019 Anne-Marie Cade   Independent
Wodonga Unsubdivided Tim Quilty   Liberal Democrats Elected to Victorian Parliament 12 December 2018 14 January 2019 Brian Mitchell   Independent
South Gippsland Strzelecki Lorraine Brunt   Independent Resignation 28 February 2019 1 April 2019 Frank Hirst   Independent
South Gippsland Tarwin Valley James Fawcett   Independent Resignation 28 February 2019 1 April 2019 No candidate declared elected
South Gippsland Tarwin Valley N/A   N/A No candidate declared elected 3 April 2019 8 April 2019 Steve Finlay   Independent
Yarra Nicholls Mike McEvoy   Greens Resignation 3 April 2019 8 May 2019 Bridgid O'Brien   Victorian Socialists
South Gippsland Coastal-Promontory Jeremy Rich   Independent Resignation after drug charges 22 April 2019 27 May 2019 Matthew Sherry   United Australia
Melton Coburn Melissa De Santis   Independent Resignation 9 May 2019 12 June 2019 Yvonne Sebire   Independent
Surf Coast Winchelsea Carol McGregor   Independent Resignation 3 June 2019 2 July 2019 James McIntyre   Independent
Buloke Lower Avoca John Shaw   Independent Resignation 13 August 2019 17 September 2019 Bronwyn Simpson   Independent
Greater Bendigo Whipstick Yvonne Wrigglesworth   Independent Resignation 12 September 2019 8 October 2019 Susie Hawke   Independent
Greater Dandenong Paperback Roz Blades   Labor Resignation 12 October 2019 11 November 2019 Peter Brown   Independent
Queenscliffe Unsubdivided Tony Francis   Independent Resignation 7 November 2019 2 December 2019 Robert Minty   Independent
Strathbogie Lake Nagambie Debra Bower   Independent Resignation 17 December 2019 20 January 2020 Robert Gardner   Independent
Gannawarra Patchell Mark Arians   Independent Resignation 3 February 2020 14 February 2020 Jenny Fawcett   Independent
Gannawarra Yarran Sonia Wright   Independent Resignation 3 February 2020 2 March 2020 Andrew Gibbs   Independent
Warrnambool Unsubdivided Peter Hulin   Independent Resignation 12 February 2020 11 March 2020 Peter Sycopoulis   Liberal
Casey Springfield Rex Flannery   Independent Resignation 14 February 2020 Council sacked before countback
Casey Edrington Timothy Jackson   Independent Labor Resignation 14 February 2020 Council sacked before countback
Brimbank Grasslands Lucinda Congreve   Independent Resignation 1 March 2020 30 March 2020 Janev Aziz   Independent
Ararat Unsubdivided David Pettman   Independent Resignation 3 April 2020 7 May 2020 Bernadine Atkinson   Independent

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d Second-placed on primary vote as the by-election did not require preference distribution.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "2016 council election results". Victorian Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 6 February 2024.
  2. ^ "Victorian council elections 2016: everything you need to know". Herald Sun.
  3. ^ "VICTORIAN GREENS CELEBRATE RECORD-BREAKING COUNCIL ELECTIONS". Victorian Greens.
  4. ^ Schneiders, Ben; Millar, Royce (12 November 2017). "Labor in bid to claw back local heartland lost to Greens". The Age. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  5. ^ Schetzer, Alana (11 December 2012). "Darebin's Fontana dumps Labor". Issuu. Melbourne Times Weekly. Archived from the original on 18 March 2014. Retrieved 12 November 2024. Cr Fontana, who was re-elected to council in October, wrote his letter of resignation to state secretary Noah Carroll on December 6, relinquishing his membership immediately.
  6. ^ Taylor, Josh (29 June 2016). "Batman begins: Darebin councillors join the fray". Crikey. Archived from the original on 10 March 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2024. Fontana left the Labor Party in 2012, saying at the time he "could no longer be associated with the party at any level"
  7. ^ a b Irwin, Julia (30 January 2014). "Darebin councillor Vince Fontana among former mayors getting ready for state election". Northcote Leader. Archived from the original on 12 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  8. ^ Kellett, Andrea (20 May 2014). "Glen Eira's first Greens mayor Neil Pilling cuts party ties". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 12 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  9. ^ Irwin, Julia (21 May 2014). "Darebin Mayor brands Labor rates cap policy 'populist politics'". Herald Sun. Northcote Leader. Archived from the original on 12 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024. Cr Greco said he was concerned now the Labor Party, of which he was a member, had announced the policy, the Liberals would also adopt the idea.
  10. ^ Wallace, Rick (16 September 2014). "Melbourne's East West link drives wedge through the middle". The Australian. Archived from the original on 12 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  11. ^ Lucas, Clay (15 September 2014). "Anti-East West Link councillor's ties to Liberal Party questioned". The Age. Archived from the original on 1 December 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  12. ^ Begg, Peter (16 December 2014). "Vote 1 Local Jobs party's James Purcell elected to Upper House". Geelong Advertiser. Archived from the original on 12 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  13. ^ McComish, Sean (2 November 2012). "Doukas wins third term as mayor". The Standard. Archived from the original on 12 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  14. ^ Country Alliance [@CountryAlliance] (2015-10-21). "Vote 1, Jim Doukas" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 2024-11-13 – via Twitter.
  15. ^ "Bendigo councillor Elise Chapman to run for Country Alliance in Bendigo West". ABC News. 16 October 2014. Archived from the original on 1 November 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  16. ^ "ORDINARY MEETING OF COUNCIL" (PDF). City of Greater Geelong. 14 October 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  17. ^ "Bellarine – Victoria 2014". The Tally Room. Archived from the original on 8 February 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  18. ^ Willingham, Richard (26 February 2015). "Michael Danby challenger Amanda Stevens banned for Labor 'disloyalty'". The Age. Archived from the original on 12 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  19. ^ Lenaghan, Peter (8 January 2016). "Bendigo anti-mosque protester Elise Chapman named as lead One Nation candidate for Victoria". ABC News. Archived from the original on 5 December 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  20. ^ Preiss, Benjamin (23 February 2016). "Stephen Jolly leads mass resignation from Socialist Party over allegations of abuse cover-up". The Age. Archived from the original on 22 September 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  21. ^ Stuchbery, Madeleine (7 March 2018). "Moonee Valley councillors to make public their travel claims and donations". Herald Sun. Moonee Valley Leader. Archived from the original on 12 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  22. ^ Schelle, Caroline (31 October 2016). "Greens ready to take control of new-look Darebin Council". Herald Sun. Preston Leader. Archived from the original on 12 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  23. ^ "Indigenous Melbourne City Councillor Brooke Wandin stands down amid questions about eligibility". ABC News. 8 November 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  24. ^ "Melbourne Council candidates Brooke Wandin, Richard Foster charged with electoral fraud". ABC News. 13 December 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  25. ^ Younger, Emma (19 April 2018). "Former Melbourne councillor avoids conviction over illegal nomination". ABC News. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  26. ^ "City of Melbourne councillor Michael Caiafa loses seat in unprecedented decision". The Age.
  27. ^ "Victorians dispute fines for not voting in 2016 local government elections". ABC News.
  28. ^ "Casey councillors desert ship as investigator recommends their sacking". The Age.