VEC panel releases draft ideas for Bendigo council ward rethink

It wants to scrap the current three-ward City of Greater Bendigo electoral system and on Wednesday released a suite of ideas likely to shape council elections for years to come.

Each of Bendigo's wards currently hosts three councillors but the panel says nine single-councillor wards are now needed to keep in line with new state government laws.

The panel appointed by the Victorian Electoral Commission wants community feedback on three ways councillors could represent voters into the future.

Among the options is a model for three rural-centred wards and six urban ones.

The idea would be to lump similar neighbourhoods together using key suburbs or towns, while sometimes using train lines for boundaries.

Story continues below proposed map.

For example, the new "Diamond Hill" ward would take in Golden Gully, Quarry Hill, most of Spring Gully and parts of Kangaroo Flat, while "Specimen Hill" could include West Bendigo, Golden Square, other areas of Kangaroo Flat and parts of Maiden Gully.

People within Bendigo's city limits would see the biggest changes if that model got the nod.

Those in rural areas would in many places stay in the same ward, albeit a smaller one with only one councillor instead of three.

The panel said the idea would broadly reflect population distributions and allow for the steady population growth expected in parts of the municipality.

It has also proposed a nine-ward model based on key roads running through areas. That would split the proposed "Eaglehawk" and "California Gully" wards at Holdsworth Road, for example.

The drawback could be that communities sometimes build up around major streets, the panel said. It cautioned that such an approach could be seen to divide communities, despite other strengths to the model.

The panel has also floated a model very different to the first two, in which wards radiate outwards.

That option would create three urban-centric wards converging near the Bendigo Train Station.

Another six wards would have a mix of urban and rural neighbourhoods.

That sort of model might give rural people weight of numbers for equal representation, while simultaneously reducing councillor workloads and travel times.

The risk would be that larger numbers of urban voters could dilute rural voters' representation, the panel said.

It is yet to settle on exact names for any of the wards it has suggested and would like community input.

The panel also used Wednesday's report to dismiss any suggestion Bendigo should have more than nine councillors.

It said the population was not yet big enough for more than nine elected representatives around the council table.

To read the report, find dates for public hearings or make a submission click here.

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