By Goya Dmytryshchak
A state government plan to return to single-member wards has met with opposition from Hobsons Bay council.
Local Government Minister Adem Somyurek said the Labor government intended to introduce the Local Government Bill 2019 into Parliament later this year with six proposed reforms, including “a preference for single member wards to make councils more accountable”.
“The new laws will help councils be more accountable, democratic and responsive,” he said.
Hobsons Bay currently has three multi-member wards: Wetlands ward (two councillors), Cherry Lake ward (two councillors) and Strand ward (three councillors).
Councillor feedback in a report tabled at last week’s council meeting indicated the council would oppose a return to single-member wards.
“The need for single ward councillors is not supported as the council acts and thinks municipal wide,” the report stated.
“Council does not agree with the need to have equal numbers of voters per ward and moving to single-member wards as it opens up opportunities for some individuals to be appointed or elected by a specific group for a specific purpose.”
The council is yet to finalise its official position.
Independent councillor Peter Hemphill, who has served on the council for 20 years in both single and multi-member wards, told
Star Weekly after the meeting that he was against single-member wards.
“It’s quite clear when you’ve got single-member wards, there are a hell of a lot more stooges,” he said.
“If you’re a sitting member, you know that they are going to gang up on you.”
“Secondly, the government has not articulated in any way, shape or form, why there should be an equal number of councillors per ward in a multi-member ward or why a single-member ward is the best structural electoral outcome.”
Other changes proposed include capping electoral campaign donations and allowing for the dismissal of a councillor after a community-initiated commission of inquiry.
