Hepburn Shire Council Representation Review30Oct

Preliminary submissions openWEDNESDAY 30 OCTOBER 2019

28Oct

Information sessions5.30 PM MONDAY 28 OCTOBER 2019Doug Lindsay Reserve Pavilion, Victoria Street, Creswick7.30 PM MONDAY 28 OCTOBER 2019Victoria Park Pavilion, Cnr Burrall and Ballan-Daylesford Road, DaylesfordAn information session will be held for anyone wanting to find out more about the review process.

27Nov

Preliminary submissions close5.00 PM WEDNESDAY 27 NOVEMBER 2019Late submissions will not be accepted.

29Jan

Preliminary report WEDNESDAY 29 JANUARY 2020The VEC releases a preliminary report including one or more options for the electoral structure. Response submissions open from this date.

26Feb

Response submission close 5.00 PM WEDNESDAY 26 FEBRUARY 2020Late submissions will not be accepted.

3Mar

Public hearing5.30 PM TUESDAY 3 MARCH 2020Daylesford Senior Citizens Hall, 76 Vincent Street, DaylesfordA public hearing will be held if anyone requests to speak about their response submission. The public hearing will not be held if there are no requests to speak.

25Mar

Final report WEDNESDAY 25 MARCH 2020The VEC submits a final report to the Minister for Local Government including

the recommendation for the electoral structure.

The reviewThe Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) is conducting an electoral representation review of Hepburn Shire Council.The review examines: whether the Council has the

appropriate number of councillors whether the Council should be

unsubdivided, with councillors elected from the whole Council, or subdivided into wards

if subdivided, the number of wards, ward boundaries and the number of councillors per ward.

Representation reviews are an important part of democracy and your input is valuable. As a local, you know your council area better than anyone. This is your chance to let us know your thoughts about how well your community is represented.

There are three main opportunities for you to have your say:1. in a preliminary submission2. in a response submission to the

preliminary report and3. if you have requested to speak in

your response submission, at a public hearing to be held in your local area.

Council OverviewHepburn Shire CouncilHepburn Shire Council is in the Central Highlands Region of Victoria, about an hour’s drive north-west of Melbourne’s CBD and within easy access of Ballarat and Bendigo. The Shire covers an area of 1,470 square kilometres. The region is known for its mineral springs and its natural beauty. The eastern part of the Shire is hilly, with higher rainfall and significant native forests. The western part of the Shire has medium to low rainfall and broad acre farming. Hepburn Shire had a population of 15,330 at the 2016 Census. The population is expected to grow at an annual average rate of 0.6% to reach 17,700 by 2036.Hepburn Shire’s largest towns include Creswick (3,170), Daylesford (2,548), Clunes (1,728), and Trentham (1,180).The Shire’s economy relies on agriculture, forestry, manufacturing and tourism. Tourism is concentrated in Daylesford and the Hepburn Springs area. The top five industries of employment are healthcare and social assistance, accommodation and food services, retail trade, construction, and education and training.Unemployment in Hepburn Shire (5.2%) is slightly lower than the average for regional Victoria (6%). Personal incomes are lower than the average for rural and regional Victoria. The median household income at $996 is lower than the corresponding average for regional Victoria at $1,124. The median age in Hepburn Shire (50 years) is higher than that for regional Victoria (43 years). Most residents were born in Australia (76.1%). The top three countries of birth in the Shire, other than Australia, are England, New Zealand and the Netherlands. Most residents speak only English at home (86.5%) which is similar to the average for regional Victoria (at 86.6%).

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents comprise 1% of the Shire’s population, which is lower than for regional Victoria (1.6%). The Dja

Dja Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation are the tradition owners of the land known as the Shire of Hepburn.

Current structureHepburn Shire Council currently consists of seven councillors elected from five wards (two two-councillor wards and three single-councillor wards).

Last reviewThe last electoral representation review of Hepburn Shire Council took place in 2007. The VEC’s final recommendation was for Hepburn Shire Council to change to seven councillors elected from five wards (two two-councillor wards and three single-councillor wards).Visit the VEC website at vec.vic.gov.au to access a copy of the 2007 review final report.

Page | 2

Current electoral structure

Page | 3

One vote, one value The VEC is committed to the principle of ‘one vote, one value’, which is described in the Local Government Act 1989 (the Act). This means that every person’s vote counts equitably.If the local council area is subdivided into wards, the number of voters represented by each councillor in each ward must be within plus-or-minus 10% of the average number of voters per councillor across the local council. The map above includes the number of voters in each ward and the ward’s current deviation from the average number of voters per councillor across the local council. During the review, the VEC takes into account likely population changes (growth or decline) to ensure the electoral structure will provide equitable representation until the next review (reviews take place approximately every 12 years).If you make a submission online, you can use the Boundary Builder tool to build your preferred electoral structure. The tool uses current voter numbers to tell you the deviations of the wards you make. This means you can make sure your proposed structure currently meets the requirements of the Act.

StatisticsArea (km2) 1,470

VotersVoter density (per km2)

11

Average voters per councillor

2,246

PopulationCurrent population

15,330

Forecast population growth

0.6% p.a.

Further census statistics available at: abs.gov.au

Voter numbers by locality

Page | 4

How to make a submissionYou can make a submission to the review via:

the VEC website at vec.vic.gov.auemail to hepburn.review@vec.vic.gov.au

post toVictorian Electoral CommissionLevel 11, 530 Collins StreetMelbourne VIC 3000

To be considered, submissions must include your:

full name residential or postal address.

All submissions are published on the VEC website at vec.vic.gov.au. Your name and locality will be published but your full address and contact details will be removed.

Page | 5

Submission guideDownload a submission guide from the VEC website at vec.vic.gov.au for more information on the review process and to help you make your submission.

Submission checklistI have included my full name and addressI know that my submission will be published, including my full name and localityI have read the submission guide

Preliminary submissionI have included the number of councillors that I want (between five and 12) and whyI have said whether I want an unsubdivided or subdivided structure and whyIf I want a subdivided structure, I have considered the ward boundaries

Response submissionI have responded to the options in the preliminary reportI have said whether I want to speak about my submission at the public hearing