The changes, proposed as part of the City of Greater Bendigo’s submission to the draft local government bill, support the idea of unsubdivided elections, the aim of which would be to elect the nine best candidates for Bendigo, rather than the three best candidates for a ward.

“This allows for the best candidates for the entire municipality to be elected. It also allows councillors to collectively focus on the best interests of the entire municipality and avoids the duplication or triplication of effort in multi-member wards,” the submission read.

The bill, which is being reviewed for the first time in 25 years, suggests a more streamlined structure for municipalities across the state, promoting the removal of mixed of multi-member and single-member wards within the one council. 

Related: Central Victorian shires divided over electoral structure

Elmore Progress Association president Meg Doller said she appreciated both sides of the argument, but warned of a move toward a city-centric approach to representation.

“You would hope people have a wide view and perspective of the whole region,” she said.

The City of Greater Bendigo has three councillors in each of its three wards.

Ward representatives were a crucial point of contact for community groups such as the EPA, to raise their concerns, Ms Doller said. 

Current representatives in the Whipstick ward, which included councillors James Williams, Julie Hoskin and Andrea Metcalf, were extremely diligent, according to Ms Doller, who said the EPA was looking forward to providing feedback on the idea.

“I can't remember a time when we've had ward councillors attend meetings on such a regular basis,” she said. 

Woodvale Progress Association president Brendan Bartlett said it would be a “shame to lose” the current system.

“If it was just one ward (with nine councillors) the concern would be there is so many different outlying communities that all have different issues, and for all of the councillors to be equally across all the issues is a big ask,” he said. 

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Councillor James Williams said wards were designed to give a voice to the more remote areas within the municipality, however he did not feel a change would make a huge difference to representation.

“It takes a way a little bit of the emphasis of representing an area,” Cr Williams said, adding all councillors should have a focus on the rural areas regardless.

Cr Williams, a councillor for Huntly shire before amalgamation, said the enormity of the job was changing and that council and community plans ensured the smaller, more remote areas within the region had a voice.

Cr Yvonne Wrigglesworth said some individuals nominated for election because they had an understanding of and rapport with regional areas.

“Some of us have a real passion to represent rural communities which are underrepresented on our council,” she said.

Removing the ward structure and the connection between councillors and these areas “risks distilling” some of that passion, Cr Wrigglesworth said.

The Axedale resident said her mandate and strength was representing her community, which could be threatened by dissolving the ward structure.

Bendigo mayor Margaret O’Rourke said councillors are bound to govern for all, regardless of their location, under the local government act. 

“We have to make the decision for the whole municipality not just ward based,” she said.

Cr O’Rourke said not everyone would agree with council’s submission, but it was not designed to overlook or diminish the council’s “strong focus on rural communities”. 

The current wards – Whipstick, Eppalock and Lockwood – are roughly divided based on population statistics. 

The number of votes represented by a councillor must be within a 10 per cent variable of other councillors.

Currently, the Victorian Electoral Commission conducts periodic representation reviews, however this may change if proposals in the draft local government bill are made law.

Bendigo’s last representation review occurred in 2011 – with the municipality changing from nine one-councillor wards to its current structure.