A CANDIDATE in this Saturday’s Maribyrnong Council elections has cried foul over the disappearance of his election material.
Independent Yarraville ward candidate Grant Miles will take legal action against a distribution company for failing to deliver 13,260 cards between October 9 and 11.
Mr Miles believes the cards were never delivered.
“The timing of the delivery of the cards was crucial, to be placed into letterboxes around the same time as ballot packs were delivered by Australia Post,” he said.
Mr Miles urgently arranged to reprint 8000 cards, which were delivered by friends and family from October 12-14.
“I have tried several times to encourage the company in question to fully investigate the disappearance of the electoral material, which they have not done to my satisfaction,” he said.
“I cannot say there is interference from political interests, but I can’t rule it out either.”
Mr Miles is offering a $1000 reward for the return of the material, packed in bundles of 250 inside nine cardboard cartons, or information leading to its recovery.
Meanwhile, candidates have continued campaigning right up to the final week of voting.
Greens candidates are pushing for free green waste bins for Maribyrnong residents in response to rising landfill levies.
River ward candidate Emily Sims said landfill levy increases from $9 per tonne in 2009 to $53.20 in 2013-14 place a significant burden on ratepayers.
“The Greens’ plan to provide free kerbside green waste services is cheaper than sending our organic waste to landfill,” she said.
“The Greens have calculated that in landfill savings alone, council will be saving about $30 a tonne. This will more than adequately recover the costs of increased numbers of required bins.”
The Sustainability Victoria Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Strategy Plan found 40 per cent of the waste that ends up in the garbage bin is food waste.
Ballot papers must reach Maribyrnong’s returning officer by 6pm this Friday. Being a postal election, there is no voting provided for on Saturday.
