Elections

Council Elections

Local Government elections are held every four years. The West Wimmera Shire Council general election was held in October 2020 and five Councillors were elected by all residents and represent all residents in the municipality.  Councillors make decisions on a range of important local issues and services, including:

  • maternal health and childcare
  • sporting and recreation facilities
  • libraries and community centres
  • animal registrations
  • rubbish and recycling
  • planning and building regulations
  • local roads and footpaths. 

 

The 2024 Local Government elections will be held on 26 October 2024.

Nomination will close at 12 noon on the 24 September 2024.

The 2024 Local Government elections will see a significant change in the enrolment of eligible ratepayers.  Owner ratepayers are no longer automatically enrolled for the election.  Instead, all eligible owner ratepayers will need to apply to the council before the close of the roll to be included on the voters roll for the election.

Close of roll

The roll for the election closes at 4pm on Friday 30 August 2024.

Please refer to the Victorian Electoral Commission website link for more details below.

Election information

The Victorian Electoral Commission conduct elections on behalf of all Victorian councils.

For detailed and up to date information about how to enrol, vote, become a candidate and more, visit the VEC website on links below, or call the VEC on 131 832.

 

Frequently Asked Questions for Candidates

Here are some FAQ(PDF, 804KB)  provided by the Victorian Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions.

West Wimmera Shire Council has five elected Councillors. Councillors are elected by all residents and represent all residents in the municipality. Voting is important as the Councillors elected make decisions on a range of local issues. Their responsibilities include: Advocacy to State and Federal government Law making and enforcement Policy development Planning and monitoring achievement Representation on behalf of constituents. 

  

Voting

Voting in Local Government elections is compulsory for anyone enrolled to vote, unless you are aged 70 or more. Councillors are elected by all residents and represent all residents in the municipality. Voting is important as the Councillors elected make decisions on a range of local issues.

If you are unsure if you are enrolled to vote or your address has recently changed, it is important to check or update your details by going to the Victorian Electoral Commission website. Alternatively, you can contact the Victorian Electoral Commission on 131 382.

 

Election Campaign Donation Returns

The Local Government Act 2020 s306 requires all candidates in a Council election to submit an election campaign donation return to the Chief Executive Officer within 40 days after election day.

The Chief Executive Officer must then submit a written report to the Minister for Local Government within 14 days advising the names of the candidates in the election and whether or not they submitted a return.

A summary of each election campaign donation return must be made available on Council’s website and include the name of the candidate and, if a gift is included in the return, the name of the person who made the gift and the total value of the gift received from that person.

View a summary of the election campaign donation returns here.

Election campaign donation returns are available for inspection at Council’s office, 49 Elizabeth Street, Edenhope during office hours for a period of 4 years from the date that is given under section 306.

 

The following external links are a valuable resource for prospective candidates and voters:

 

The content on this web page will be updated regularly as information becomes available from external sources.