General News
14 November, 2024
Uoy, Barry new councillors
Dimboola Imaginarium co-owner Chan Uoy and Luv-a-Duck supplier James Barry will represent residents of he East Ward on Hindmarsh Shire Council for the next four years.
The pair were declared elected on Friday afternoon, when the Victorian Electoral Commission released the final figures for Hindmarsh voting in last month’s state election.
Mr Uoy, who made the move to Dimboola five years ago after arriving in Australia from Cambodia as a child refugee, was the first candidate elected, with an absolute majority of 53.73 per cent, or 641 votes from the 1193 formal votes cast in East ward.
Mr Barry and his wife Kylie farm near Glenlee and are one of Luv-a-Duck’s biggest suppliers nationally.
He polled 26.07 per cent, or 311 individual votes.
Like Mr Uoy, Mr Barry is a relatively recent arrival in Hindmarsh, in his case having relocated with Kylie and their sons from Gippsland 12 years ago.
Both experienced businessmen, the pair are active across organisations throughout Hindmarsh Shire, including in Mr Uoy’s case as the founder-director of Wimmera Steampunk Festival, while Mr Barry is involved with Dimboola Football Club and Nhill Motorcycle Club.
Mr Uoy and Mr Barry defeated incumbent Cr Deb Nelson, who finished with 20.2 per cent (241 votes).
As incoming members of Hindmarsh Shire Council, they join newly elected North ward councillors Tony Clark and Roger Aitken, elected with 40.72 per cent and 36.74 per cent of votes, respectively, and West ward’s Cr Ron Ismay and Rosie Barker, who were unopposed.
Cr Ismay is the only sitting councillor returned to office, having made the switch from East to West ward.
Voter turnout in East ward, whose major population centre is Dimboola, was 1205 people from the 1439 enrolled (83.74 per cent).
Twelve informal votes were detected by the scrutineering team.
Hindmarsh Shire Council will meet in Nhill at 6pm today, to choose its next mayor.
The first monthly meeting of the new council will be held on November 27.