Elections review

THEVictorian Electoral Commission is due to submit its final report on the future of the electoral system and structure in Knox.
Having heard the verbal submissions of a number of Knox councillors and residents at a public hearing at Knox Civic Centre on Thursday, 17 May, the VEC is now preparing its final report to the Minister of Local Government.
Foremost among the concerns raised at the hearing was the VEC’s perceived preoccupation with managing the number of constituents represented by each councillor.
This was certainly the focus of Dobson Ward councillor Karin Orpen and other members of the Ferntree Gully community who fear that the foothills council wards will be carved up in a bid to meet the VEC’s statistical requirements.
The VEC is due to submit its final report to the Minister for Local Government Richard Wynne on Monday, 4 June.
Cr Orpen reported that Dobson Ward was well represented at the hearing, suggesting that the turnout reinforced the Ferntree Gully community’s view that the VEC’s recommendations were “totally divisive and not acceptable”.
Knox CEO Graeme Emonson was adamant that the population growth statistics needed to be reviewed and noted that the VEC has provided an undertaking to go back and recheck its projections.