User:ColonialGrid/sandbox

The 2012 Victorian council general elections occurred on 27 October with 78 of Victoria's 79 municipal councils being elected. All but one of Victoria's municipalities elected their councils, the one exception was Brimbank City Council, which was under administration. Eight councils had walk-up voting, while the other 80 opted for postal voting. The previous general council elections were held on 29 November 2008, with all of Victoria's 79 councils being elected. The next council elections will be held on 22 October 2016, with all council elections now being fixed-term for four years.

The elections saw 2004 candidates compete for 631 positions across Victoria. 464 incumbent councillors re-contested the election, with 331 re-elected, representing 52% of those elected with the remaining 48% being new councillors. The percentage of women elected to councils rose to 34% from 29% at the 2008 election; 214 women were elected, with ten councils now have a female majority.

There were accusations of smear campaigns; a focus on negative campaigning; the running of dummy candidates; and physical altercations, with the Local Government Inspectorate receiving 530 complaints, leading to 32 criminal investigation. These problems are compounded by the fact that candidates for Victorian council elections are not required to disclose political affiliations, and major parties do not back candidates. The Greens are the only party to publicly endorse candidates. Voter turnout was also low, with some wards recording voting participation below 50%, and those not voting facing fines. To ameliorate these issues and address voter confusion, a review on electoral procedures was undertaken, and set down 55 recommendations in late 2014. The report recommendations include capping political donations; mandatory political disclosure; a complete move to postal voting; better, compulsory, education of candidates; and stricter requirements to run for council. Its release was welcomed by Victorian Local Governance Association chief executive Andrew Hollows and Municipal Association of Victoria president Bill McArthur.

Alpine Shire Council
Alpine Shire Council elected seven members in a single ward, using proportionally representative voting.

Ararat Rural City Council
Ararat Rural City Council was to elect seven members in a single ward, using proportionally representative voting, as it did in the 2008 election. However, an election was not required with all seven seats being filled uncontested.

Ballarat City Council
Ballarat City Council elected nine members across three wards, with each ward electing three members using proportionally representative voting.

Banyule City Council
Banyule City Council elected seven members from seven single-member wards using preferential voting. Tom Melican won Ibbott Ward unopposed, with no election necessary.

Bass Coast Shire Council
Bass Coast Shire Council elected seven members from seven single-member wards using preferential voting.

Baw Baw Shire Council
Baw Baw Shire Council elected nine members across four wards, with three wards electing two members and one electing three members, using proportionally representative voting.

Bayside City Council
Bayside City Council elected seven members across three wards, with two wards electing two members and one electing three members, using proportionally representative voting.

Benalla Rural City Council
Benalla Rural City Council elected seven members in a single ward, using proportionally representative voting.

Boroondara City Council
Boroondara City Council elected ten members from ten single-member wards using preferential voting.

Borough of Queenscliffe
The Borough of Queenscliffe elected five members in a single ward, using proportionally representative voting.

Brimbank City Council
Brimbank City Council was placed under administration in 2009 following an investigation which declared that the councillors "'cannot provide good government' and are incapable of improvement and reform." All 11 councillors were stood down. Elections were originally slated for 2012, with all other councils, but the Victorian Government announced in May 2012 that administration would continue and elections would not be held. Brimbank currently has three administrators who undertake the roles that councillors normally would.

Buloke Shire Council
Buloke Shire Council elected seven members across three wards, with two wards electing two members and one electing three members, using proportionally representative voting. Reid Matther and Ellen White won seats in Mallee Ward unopposed, with no election necessary.

Greater Bendigo City Council
Greater Bendigo City Council elected nine members across three wards, with each ward electing three members using proportionally representative voting.

Campaspe Shire Council
Campaspe Shire Council elected nine members across six wards, with three wards electing three members using proportionally representative voting, and three wards electing a single member each using preferential voting.

Cardinia Shire Council
Cardinia Shire Council elected nine members across three wards, with one ward electing four members, one ward electing two members, and one ward electing three members, using proportionally representative voting.

Casey City Council
Casey City Council elected eleven members across six wards, with one ward electing a single member using preferential voting, and five wards electing two members using proportionally representative voting.

Central Goldfields Shire Council
Central Goldfields Shire Council elected seven members across four wards, with three wards electing a single member each using preferential voting, and one wards electing four members using proportionally representative voting.

Colac Otway Shire Council
Colac Otway Shire Council elected seven members in a single ward, using proportionally representative voting.

Corangamite Shire Council
Corangamite Shire Council elected seven members across five wards, with one ward electing three members using proportionally representative voting, and four wards electing a single member each using preferential voting. Peter Harkin, Geoff Smith, and Joanne Beard won the seats of Coastal Ward, North Ward, and South-Central Ward unopposed, with no election necessary.

Darebin City Council
Darebin City Council elected nine members across three wards, with each ward electing three members using proportionally representative voting.

Greater Dandenong City Council
Greater Dandenong City Council elected eleven members across four wards, with three wards electing three members, and one ward electing two members, using proportionally representative voting.

East Gippsland Shire Council
East Gippsland Shire Councill elected nine members in a single ward, using proportionally representative voting.

Frankston City Council
Frankston City Council elected nine members across three wards, with each ward electing three members using proportionally representative voting.

Gannawarra Shire Council
Gannawarra Shire Council elected seven members across four wards, with two wards electing a single member each using preferential voting, one ward electing two members and one electing three members using proportionally representative voting. Oscar Aertssen ran unopposed in Murray Ward, while Keith den Houtin, Mark Arians, and Brian Gibson were the only three candidates in Patchell Ward, all four won seats unopposed, with no elections necessary.

Glen Eira City Council
Glen Eira City Council elected nine members across three wards, with each ward electing three members using proportionally representative voting.

Glenelg Shire Council
Glenelg Shire Council elected seven members in a single ward, using proportionally representative voting.

Golden Plains Shire Council
Golden Plains Shire Council elected seven members in a single ward, using proportionally representative voting.

Greater Geelong City Council
Greater Geelong City Council elected twelve councillors from twelve single-member wards, and elected the mayor at-large, all elections were made using preferential voting.

Hepburn Shire Council
Hepburn Shire Council elected seven members across five wards, with two wards electing two members using proportionally representative voting, and three wards electing a single member each using preferential voting. William Marks McClenaghan won the seat of Holcombe Ward unopposed, with no election necessary.

Hindmarsh Shire Council
Hindmarsh Shire Council elected six members across three wards, with each ward electing two members using proportionally representative voting. Ronald Edwin Lowe and Elizabeth Chivell won seats in North Ward unopposed, with no election necessary.

Hobsons Bay City Council
Hobsons Bay City Council elected seven members across three wards, with two wards electing two members and one ward electing three members, using proportionally representative voting.

Horsham Rural City Council
Horsham Rural City Council elected seven members in a single ward, using proportionally representative voting.

Hume City Council
Hume City Council elected eleven members across three wards, with two wards electing four members and one ward electing three members, using proportionally representative voting.

Indigo Shire Council
Indigo Shire Council elected seven members in a single ward, using proportionally representative voting.

Kingston City Council
Kingston City Council elected nine members across three wards, with each ward electing three members using proportionally representative voting.

Knox City Council
Knox City Council elected nine members from nine single-member wards using preferential voting. Joe Cossari and Adam Gill won Collier Ward and Dinsdale Ward, respectively, unopposed, with no elections necessary.

Latrobe City Council
Latrobe City Council elected nine members across four wards, with two wards electing two members and one ward electing four members using proportionally representative voting, and one ward electing one member using preferential voting.

Loddon Shire Council
Loddon Shire Council elected five members from five single-member wards using preferential voting. Neil Beattie, Colleen Condliffe, and Gavan Lindsay Holt won Boort Ward, Inglewood Ward, and Wedderburn Ward, respectively, unopposed, with no elections necessary.

Macedon Ranges Shire
Macedon Ranges Shire elected nine members across three wards, with each ward electing three members using proportionally representative voting.

Manningham City Council
Manningham City Council elected nine members across three wards, with each ward electing three members using proportionally representative voting.

Melbourne City Council
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/1-million-cash-splash-on-lord-mayor-elections-20121008-279m5.html

Greater Shepparton City Council
Greater Shepparton City Council elected seven members in a single ward, using proportionally representative voting.

Wangaratta Rural City Council
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/wangaratta-council-sacked-over-toxic-culture-20130918-2ty76.html

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/mp-labelled-a-fascist-after-council-axed-20130918-2tzsr.html

http://www.wangaratta.vic.gov.au/council/councillors/