ON THE face of it, at least, the single proposal put forward by the Victorian Electoral Commission for a new ward structure in the South Gippsland Shire appears to have gone out of its way to disadvantage the voters of Coastal Promontory Ward.
Where previously there were fewer ratepayers and residents eligible to vote in Coastal Promontory than the other wards, in fact only 7949 were eligible to vote at the 2021 election, there could be as many as 12,773 voters when South Gippsland goes to the polls in October this year.
But they still only get three representatives.
The reason why there could be significantly more people eligible to vote in the Coastal Promontory ward this time around is that the VEC is proposing to shift the boundary north, to include Meeniyan and Dumbalk in a ward that already includes Venus Bay, Sandy Point, Foster and Fish Creek.
It would leave the Leongatha dominated Tarwin Valley Ward (9376 voters) and the Loch, Poowong Nyora, Korumburra ward of Strzelecki (8752 voters), each getting three councillors at the table for considerably fewer votes.
But it’s not as bad as it looks, when you consider that at the 2021 Census, just 24.3% of the 1736 dwellings in Venus Bay were listed as permanently occupied (423 homes) and only 19.7% of the 677 dwellings in Sandy Point.
All those property owners are ratepayers and therefore eligible to vote but while many of them don’t, on paper at least, the new proposal put forward by the VEC does devalue the votes of all people in Coastal Promontory; including those in Meeniyan, Fish Creek, Foster, Toora and Welshpool as much as it does the property owners in Venus Bay and Sandy Point, by as much as 45% compared with the voters of Tarwin Valley.
Here’s what the VEC had to say about their ‘Preliminary Model’
“After considering various options, the panel decided to put forward one model (for South Gippsland). The model was considered to affect a minimal number of voters, essentially shifting the current northern boundary of Coastal-Promontory Ward further north to rebalance its lower voter population relative to the two northern wards of Tarwin Valley and Strzelecki.
“While the panel explored other options, the preliminary model was the only structure considered appropriate for the communities of South Gippsland Shire. This is because the concentrated populations in the towns of Leongatha and Korumburra, coupled with the sparse population distribution throughout the centre of the shire, severely limits the ability to create sensible ward boundaries that adhere to the legislated +/-10% requirement.
“Of the models considered, this was the most stable for the purposes of adhering to the +/-10% requirement during the 2024 local government elections, but also has a reasonable chance to remain within legislated deviations for the 2028 elections too.
“An additional challenge to creating ward boundaries for South Gippsland is the high prevalence of council-enrolled voters found mostly in the south along the coastline, with notable concentrations around Venus Bay and Sandy Point. This factor further limited the options for creating sensible ward boundaries.
“Due to these constraints, the panel viewed other models that, while compliant with the Act, would likely not satisfactorily cater to communities of interest. This included options for splitting the coastal areas between wards, and options combining the disparate locations of Wilsons Promontory and Leongatha.
“In the preliminary model, the northern boundary of Coastal-Promontory Ward now follows the Tarwin River and Tarwin River-East Branch for almost the entire length, with small deviations from the river in the east using roads, trails and property boundaries. This was regarded as a good outcome when considering the prominent nature of the river in the area, which presents as a strong and easily recognisable boundary.
“The panel also noted that most boundaries between the current Strzelecki and Tarwin Valley wards would remain in place in the preliminary model, with only very minor adjustments near Leongatha. This too was considered a good outcome as electors would likely be familiar with these boundaries, including the use of Tarwin Valley River-West Branch, roads, and property boundaries.
“The panel noted that shifting the Coastal-Promontory Ward boundaries further north might result in some communities that have less in common with the coastal area of the shire being included in a ward with these coastal areas. This shift would mean the more central towns of Meeniyan, Stony Creek and Dumbalk would now be contained within the southern Coastal[1]Promontory Ward. While the panel acknowledged this could have potential drawbacks, and that these towns might constitute communities of interest more aligned with the north, it was felt that such change was necessary to sensibly rebalance all wards to adhere to the +/-10% requirement.”
Those who wish to make a submission must do so by 5pm on Wednesday, March 6, 2024 and can opt to be heard at an online public hearing at 10am on Thursday, March 14, 2024.
See details: South Gippsland Shire Council | Victorian Electoral Commission (vec.vic.gov.au)
