Trent Sullivan and Anthony Aitken claim victory in Geelong council vote

The make-up of the region’s councils is starting to become clearer, with a number of incumbents set to return to City Hall, as the Greens struggle to secure any representation.

Anthony Aitken and Trent Sullivan are set for a return to City Hall. Picture: Supplied

Residents in the Geelong region are on the hook for $4.6m in fines after 18 per cent of voters failed to submit their ballots in the recent council elections.

Final figures from the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) show almost 38,000 of 206,000 electors in the City of Greater Geelong did not vote within the required time frame.

Each faces a $99 fine, which could result in a $3.75m windfall for City Hall due to the relevant council receiving the revenue.

Fines worth a further $845,000 could be generated from the 8529 electors across the Surf Coast, Golden Plains and Borough of Queenscliffe who did not exercise their democratic right.

Those who did not vote will receive a letter from the VEC early next year where they will be afforded the opportunity to state their case.

A fine will be issued if the VEC deems the explanation inadequate or if no response to the letter is received.

The Golden Plains return rate of 85.9 per cent was the highest in the region, followed by the Borough of Queenscliffe (85.7 per cent), Surf Coast (82.2 per cent), and Greater Geelong (81.6 per cent).

The counting of votes commenced late last week and Geelong’s outgoing mayor and deputy mayor have already taken to Facebook to claim victory in the new 11 single-member ward structure.

Trent Sullivan is well out in front in Leopold and will again put his hand up for mayor, while Anthony Aitken is a clear frontrunner in Corio with two-thirds of votes counted.

“I sincerely thank you all that I can continue to be a strong and passionate voice for you at City Hall,” Mr Aitken said.

“To my family, friends and community supporters that helped achieve this decisive result, I thank you.”

Anthony Aitken has claimed victory in the Corio ward. Picture: Facebook.

However, Mr Aitken’s key rival, Socialist Alliance candidate and incumbent councillor Sarah Hathway, has not yet conceded defeat.

“I’m not going to make any declarations one way or the other at this point except to say it’s not over until it’s over,” she said.

Fellow incumbent councillors Ron Nelson (Barrabool Hills), Eddy Kontelj (Hamlyn Heights) and Melissa Cadwell (Cheetham) are firm favourites to be returned.

Former mayor Stretch Kontelj is more than 900 votes clear of his nearest rival in Kardinia, while Elise Wilkinson, who joined council in August last year following the resignation of Stephanie Asher, is trailing Angela Shearman in the two-horse Connewarre race by 338 votes.

Ms Shearman was on the Liberal Party’s upper house ticket at the 2022 Victorian election.

In the wards where an incumbent councillor did not contest, Blake Hadlow holds a narrow lead in Charlemont, Andrew Katos is a surprisingly clear leader in Deakin, Rowan Story is well ahead in Murradoc, and Chris Burson is all but assured victory in You Yangs.

Most noticeable in the interim Surf Coast Shire results is the lower than expected support for Greens candidates.

Surf Coast councillor Kate Gazzard. Picture: Alan Barber.

The party stood one candidate in each of the shire’s three wards, which will each be represented by three councillors.

Kate Gazzard and Aleisja Henry are coming last in their respective wards of Otway Range and Winchelsea, while Phoebe Crockett is placed fourth out of six candidates in Torquay.

The Greens’ sole Golden Plains candidate, incumbent Gavin Gamble, is eighth out of 10 candidates.

With seven councillors to be elected, his future hinges on a favourable preference flow.

The final results for all local councils should be known in the next week.

Originally published as Trent Sullivan and Anthony Aitken claim victory in Geelong council vote