By Jessica Anstice
This year’s Cardinia Council election could be pushed back as the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) is calling on the State government to defer all council elections due to the ongoing impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Inevitably, the pandemic has impacted the ability for candidates to campaign and consult with their communities on vital issues.
Cardinia Shire Council mayor Jeff Springfield said he is in favour of this year’s election being deferred for up to 12 months.
“We have supported that position in the past and I feel with the current climate of Covid-19 in Melbourne, I think it would be a good decision to make,” Cr Springfield said.
“I feel that most residents wouldn’t mind. It’s just pushing it back to keep the current council for another 12 months – it would have more benefits than not.
“Right now our community wants the council to deliver the services that they need in order to get through this tough pandemic.
“I don’t think it’s going to be very good for us to take time out for two months to be campaigning. I would be prefer to be focused at the job on hand delivering support for our community.”
Cardinia Shire Council will be in caretaker period – a time that is intended to ensure that council actions do not interfere with the probity of the election process and to safeguard the authority of the incoming council – from early August to November.
After a new council is elected, Cr Springfield said there is an induction period that can last for up to two years.
“It takes many months, even a year or two, for councillors to get up to speed and understand the system they’re working with – it’s a lot of difficulty,” he explained.
“I think it’s unlikely that it would happen but I think it would be good for the community as a whole if it did.”
The New South Wales Government delayed its council elections for one year until September 2021.
MAV president Cr Coral Ross and CEO Kerry Thompson met with newly appointed Local Government Minister, the Hon. Shaun Leane to raise the issue in person and address several other concerns the organisation has for the future of Victorian local government.
Cr Ross said that many councillors across the state have provided examples of the difficulties currently facing the local government sector and support the MAV’s push for a deferral of this year’s elections.
“With the current increase in Covid-19 numbers and the subsequent wide-scale lockdown, we are calling on the Minister to reconsider holding council elections in October this year,” Cr Ross said.
“Recent feedback has again highlighted the difficulties of ensuring a level playing field for candidates campaigning for election to their council.
“Deferring local government elections to a time when there is the greatest choice of candidates of the highest calibre standing, is simply the most democratic thing to do – for council and community.”
