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Two candidates will take Councillor Yvonne Wrigglesworth's place if they win a looming countback.
Ms Wrigglesworth resigned on Wednesday citing a difference in values between herself and fellow City of Greater Bendigo councillors.
The countback will take place on October 8 in Lyttleton Terrace.
11.20am
COLIN Carrington would accept a seat on Bendigo's council if he won a countback triggered by Yvonne Wigglesworth's resignation.
The retired army major won the fourth highest amount of votes of candidates vying for three Eppalock ward seats.
He did not believe he was a shoo-in to win the countback.
"I consider myself only a 50 per cent chance of being elected," he said.
The countback could come down to him and fifth-placed Susie Hawke, Mr Carrington said.
She won 8.64 per cent of the primary vote in 2016 and performed strongly as preferences were distributed during counts to eliminate weaker candidates and help others reach the 4906 vote "quota" needed to win a council seat.
Mr Carrington won 10.55 per cent.
He ran in 2016 on calls for change at an "on the nose" council that was ignoring "ordinary citizens".
If elected, Mr Carrington's priority would be holding the council responsible on a "GovHub" proposal to rebuild and sell offices in Lyttleton Terrace.
"I would attempt to have a hold put on the GovHub until I have seen the full business plan and examined it," he said on Friday morning.
"And (made sure) all councillors have one last opportunity to reconsider the full implications of what this will have on Bendigo ratepayers and residents."
Mrs Hawke was unsure what her chances of winning and how the countback would work.
"I ran because I wanted to be on council and if I did win I would take on the opportunity that came forward," she said.
Mrs Hawke ran on a desire for more diverse representation on council and to put children on the agenda.
The speech pathologist said in 2016 that working mothers' views were not being represented by council.
"There appear to be a number of retired people on our current council and I'm not sure they represent the same views on issues as me or other young working families," Mrs Hawke told the Bendigo Advertiser at the time.
Ms Hawke had 1717 primary votes in 2016.
Former councillor Helen Leach had 21 less votes than Ms Hawke but believed she had polled too far down.
"I'm not in the running, I think," she said.
The Victorian Electoral Commission has not set a date for the countback.
In a countback, the vacating councillor's votes are redistributed to unsuccessful candidates, according to voters' preferences.
A candidate who receives more than 50 per cent of the votes is elected.
If no candidate wins more than 50 per cent, whoever has the least is excluded and their votes are redistributed.
The process continues until a winner is declared.
8.30am
CANDIDATES are again in the running to represent Eppalock on Bendigo's council after Yvonne Wrigglesworth's resignation.
The councillor resigned this week citing a difference in values between herself and fellow City of Greater Bendigo councillors.
Filling Yvonne Wrigglesworth's vacated council seat will rely on a countback of preferences from the 2016 election, when three councillors were elected to three separate wards.
Ms Wrigglesworth, George Flack and Margaret O'Rourke were elected to the Eppalock ward but none had enough votes without relying on preferences to meet "the quota".
Candidates needed more than one third of the vote - or 4906 ballots - to meet the quota and be elected.
Cr Flack was the closest with 3515 votes, followed by Cr O'Rourke on 3159 and Ms Wrigglesworth on 2827.
So the Victorian Electoral Commission started striking the other seven candidates, one by one, and redistributed preferences.
Businessman Brenton Johnson was the first to go after receiving 900 votes.
Four more candidates were struck from the count before Cr Flack was elected.
They included former councillors Helen Leach and Mark Weragoda as well as local builder Geoff Stephens and Greens candidate Rosemary Glaisher.
The moment Cr Flack was elected, his 4946 votes and preferences were redistributed to the three remaining candidates, including speech pathologist Susie Hawke.
None had enough votes to reach the quota so Ms Hawke's votes were redistributed.
Retired army major and Heathcote resident Colin Carrington's votes did not need to be redistributed before Cr O'Rourke and Ms Wrigglesworth were elected.
The City of Greater Bendigo will work with the Victorian Electoral Commission to confirm the timing of the countback.
The VEC has been contacted for comment.
More about Eppalock ward candidates:
- Susie Hawke: desire for diversity drives election bid
- Geoff Stephens: builder wants to fix council
- Rosemary Glaisher: candidate wants to give council Green tinge
- Colin Carrington: ex-councillor shapes up for toughest council race in memory
- Brenton Johnson: youth to make council dash
- Which councillors are running again in 2016?
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