By Luke Voogt
The State Government is set to strip Geelong of its mayoral vote on the recommendation of a Citizens’ Jury.
Local Government Minister Natalie Hutchins indicated to the Indy that she intended to adopt the recommendation.
“We put a lot of time, effort and money in setting up this jury to make sure it would be as independent as it could be,” she said.
“Any MP to ignore a report like would do so at (their) own peril.
“It was quite clear the system that had been put in place was not working.”
The Government commissioned the newDemocracy Foundation to arrange the 100-member jury, which recommended scrapping the mayoral election in a close call.
The jury favoured returning to the previous system of councillors choosing the mayor.
Ms Hutchins said she would take the jury’s recommendation to cabinet for a decision early next year.
Scrapping the vote would require a parliamentary amendment to the City of Greater Act 1993.
An online Democracy in Geelong survey in conjunction with the jury found that 59 per cent of 956 respondents wanted to keep their mayoral vote.
“I wouldn’t say that a 900-plus survey is representative of the communities of Geelong,” Ms Hutchins said.
Last week she said the survey attracted a “huge number” of responses.
A number public of figures have slammed the jury process, including former mayor Darryn Lyons and shadow local government minister David Davis who last week described it as a farce.
“I think the opposition’s spokesperson for local government should have had the guts to turn up and meet some of the jurors,” Ms Hutchins said.
This week Mr Davis said the Andrews government had always planned to get rid of the mayoral vote.
“Labor has always hated the directly-elected mayor in Geelong,” he said.
Former Geelong Labor MP Peter Loney described the previous coalition government’s introduction of the directly-elected mayor in 2012 as “half-baked”.
He cited its lack of a provision to fill “an extraordinary vacancy” when stress forced the resignation of the first directly elected mayor Keith Fagg.
“It was a stuff up that cost this community dearly,” Mr Loney said.
Other prominent public figures, including former premier Jeff Kennett, suggested that Geelong should adopt aspects of the City of Melbourne’s model of mayor and deputy candidates running on a ticket.
