Mayor opposes new elections date

JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
GEELONG’S mayor has opposed a State Government decision to move next year’s council elections back a month.
John Mitchell said he preferred keeping the elections on the last Saturday in November.
The Government has announced the elections will shift to the fourth Saturday in October.
“We’ll work within the confines of the rules but this indicates the difficulty when making policy on the run,” Cr Mitchell said.
Local Government Minister Jeanette Powell said the change would “improve governance and forward planning” for councils.
“This reform is particularly important for new councillors who face the challenging task of learning councils’ operations and preparing for their first council budget and council plan,” Ms Powell said.
“The date has been brought forward to allow councillors to be inducted into new roles before the Christmas/new year break.”
A Victorian Electoral Commi-sion report warned the change could increase promotional costs for council and reduce voter participation.
Delivering postal ballots to homes unoccupied during school holidays also increased the potential for electoral fraud because ballot papers would not be secure in mailboxes, the commission said.
The Independent reported in April that the date change would clash with school holidays and major events.