General News
11 November, 2024
No waiting: council all set
While neighbouring shires wait to learn the composition of their incoming councils, Yarriambiack already has its six councillors established for the next four years firmly in place.
In each of the three wards in the shire, Dunmunkle, Hopetoun and Warracknabeal, the number of candidates standing for office last month exactly matched the number of vacancies, meaning residents had no need to go to the polls.
In preparation for Victoria’s local government election, all positions were declared open.
However, in Yarriambiack the election became a non-event when only four women and two men chose to nominate.
Of the seven councillors who have served the shire since 2020, mayor Cr Kylie Zanker, Cr Andrew McLean, Cr Chris Lehmann, Cr Corinne Heintze and Cr Karly Kirk were prepared to continue in office.
Cr Graeme Massey and Cr Tom Hamilton did not contest the election and have now retired from council.
Nominations closed on September 17, but as all three wards were uncontested, no ballot packs were distributed in Yarriambiack when the mailout began on October 7.
The last monthly meeting of council was held on October 25, by which time Yarriambiack was in caretaker mode, while voting continued across the state.
On October 28, the Victorian Electoral Commission declared that the six elected unopposed for the 2024-28 term of government, were Cr Zanker and Cr Kirk in Warracknabeal ward, Cr McLean and Cr Lehmann in Hopetoun ward, and Cr Heintze and the only new addition to council, Melinda Keel, in Dunmunkle ward.
The new council will meet for the first time on November 27.
Counting is now well under way in neighbouring Hindmarsh Shire and Horsham Rural City.