Changes could see return of ward system to Warrnambool while open slather eyed for Corangamite Shire

Under changes to the Local Government Act 2020, Warrnambool is set to return to a single-member ward system by 2024 to become compliant at the next council election.

Any changes will be conducted by an Electoral Representation Advisory Panel established by the Minister for Local Government.

After an electoral structure review, the panel will make a recommendation to the minister.

A council spokesman said consultation on the move would begin next year.

"The Victorian Government will begin consultation and engagement on the proposed single-member ward system in February next year," he said.

"Council will make a submission at that time.

"Over coming months our councillors will be briefed on the proposed changes and their implications."

Warrnambool mayor Vicki Jellie said the council may go to wards next time.

"There's discussion that we won't be open slather," Cr Jellie said.

How the wards will be divided is not yet known but if the division has similar boundaries to those in 2004 before they were scrapped in favour of the existing unsubdivided municiaplity, some of Warrnambool's current councillors could be pitted against each other if they run again.

Councillors Otha Akoch and Cr Jellie, who were the highest polling candidates in 2020, could face off in one ward based on the old boundaries and their current residential addresses, as could Debbie Arnott and Angie Paspaliaris. Max Taylor, Richard Ziegeler and Ben Blain would find themselves in separate wards.

How the wards will be divided is not yet known but if the division has similar boundaries as 2004 then the top two candidates would likely run against each other in elections.

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Cr Blain said voting would also change from proportional to preferential.

"If we stick with seven councillors still, the population can't vary by more than 10 per cent between the wards," he said.

"So assuming we have a population of 35,000, that means every single ward will have approximately 5000 ratepayers voting for the councillor.

"We won't see the big ballots which we've seen in the past two elections. The last elections we've had 25 in 2016 and 26 in the last election.

"You'll actually find they won't be that big again because you might have two to five running in the individual wards.

"When it's unsubdivided, voting is proportional and you have to hit a quota in order to be elected but once you go to wards it's preferential."

Meanwhile, Corangamite Shire Council - which operates under a mixed ward system - will need to become unsubdivided or remove its central wards.

The changes would deter candidates from being elected without competition. Three councillors have been elected unopposed in every Corangamite Shire council election since 2008.

South-central ward councillor Jo Beard said she'd questioned the role her election sweeps may have played in limiting the pool.

"That (potential candidate) could've been an absolutely amazing next future councillor that I could be deterring," she said.

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