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Victorian council elections
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Victorian council elections

Victorians have voted in council elections. Find out the results in your area and what the make-up of the local council means for you.

53 stories
Lord mayor faces potential conflict of interest over Queen Vic Market trader’s donation
Exclusive

Lord mayor faces potential conflict of interest over Queen Vic Market trader’s donation

Nick Reece has already been facing scrutiny over his campaign donations, after accepting tens of thousands of dollars from donors with property interests in the City of Melbourne.

  • by Cara Waters
Nick Reece being sworn in as the 105th lord mayor of Melbourne in November.

Donation revelations prompt fears Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece could be ‘mired in conflicts of interest’

Reece accepted tens of thousands of dollars from donors with property interests in the City of Melbourne despite pledging he would not allow developers to bankroll his mayoral campaign. See the full list of donors.

  • by Cara Waters, Adam Carey and Sarah Danckert
Anthony Koutoufides in August announcing his run for Melbourne lord mayor.
Exclusive

Kouta’s $449,000 cash splash on failed lord mayoral campaign

The campaign to elect the former AFL star as Melbourne lord mayor spent a hefty amount with limited success. One of his supporters has called for electoral reform.

  • by Cara Waters
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Nick Reece is sworn in as the 105th lord mayor of Melbourne.

Reece sworn in as lord mayor amid doubt over multimillion-dollar campaign promises

Nick Reece’s priorities are safety and cleanliness, but questions remain about how he can fulfil other promises given the council’s struggling budget.

  • by Cara Waters
The Age council results

Where Labor got ‘slaughtered’, regions lurch right, a teal wave: Deciphering Victoria’s council results

After weeks of voting and more weeks of counting, Victoria now has a fresh set of newly elected councils. Digging into the data reveals some surprising outcomes.

  • by Tom Cowie and Rachael Dexter
Victorian Electoral Commissioner Sven Bluemmel gives a press conference on Wednesday detailing alleged ballot fraud.

‘The risk of an election failure is now real’: Electoral Commissioner’s early warning

The Victorian Electoral Commission’s annual report says it faces budget pressures with difficulty recruiting and retaining staff for events and a continued rise in the cost of services.

  • by Cara Waters and Broede Carmody
Generic photo of VEC staff sorting ballots at the Convention Centre.

Victorian council election results 2024 LIVE updates: Suspected postal vote tampering in council elections

All the updates on the results in Victoria’s local government elections.

  • by Rachael Dexter, Tom Cowie, Adam Carey, Sophie Aubrey, Benjamin Preiss, Patrick Hatch and Cara Waters
Former Victorian information commissioner Sven Bluemmel.

‘Far too long’: Fears it will take years to resolve Melbourne council vote scandal

The state’s electoral commissioner said there had been suspected postal-vote tampering in two wards – one in Knox council and the other in Whittlesea – with some voters lodging multiple ballots by mail.

  • by Rachael Dexter, Tom Cowie and Rachel Eddie
Greater Melbourne council election results

Votes have been counted in local elections. Here are your councillors

Use our interactive to find out who was elected in each ward of your council across Greater Melbourne.

  • by Rachael Dexter and Tom Cowie
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Lord mayor Nick Reece and deputy lord mayor Roshena Campbell campaigned on a pledge to sell the Regent Theatre to fund the arts.
Exclusive

It’s curtains for lord mayor’s plan to sell the Regent Theatre

Nick Reece’s election pledge to sell the 95-year-old venue to fund the arts is likely to be blocked by the new council.

  • by Cara Waters
The Greens dominated Yarra council at the 2020 election. Four years on, the party’s power on the council has reduced.
Analysis

Down and out in Yarra, but Greens offset heartland losses

This year’s council elections were always going to cast a spotlight on the Greens’ performance. The results show something of a mixed bag for the progressive party.

  • by Rachael Dexter and Tom Cowie
The fake legal letter addressed to Jaz Masuta.
Exclusive

Fake legal letter makes dirty demand of council candidate

A would-be councillor was panicked to receive an unusual legal letter as part of a bogus criminal investigation into the disappearance of several election posters in Melbourne’s south-east last month.

  • by Cameron Houston
‘The best days of the city are ahead’: Nick Reece wins race to be Melbourne lord mayor
Updated

‘The best days of the city are ahead’: Nick Reece wins race to be Melbourne lord mayor

Reece recorded 61.5 per cent of the vote after the distribution of preferences, comfortably beating Greens candidate Roxane Ingleton with 38.5 per cent.

  • by Rachael Dexter and Tom Cowie
Greens lag in progressive heartlands; Liberals are ‘teal-washed’ out of Boroondara

Greens lag in progressive heartlands; Liberals are ‘teal-washed’ out of Boroondara

In early counts of votes in the local government elections, there has already been clear political shifts in some key Melbourne councils.

  • by Rachael Dexter
Erin Deering and Arron Wood.
Analysis

Koutoufides and Reece lord mayor battle could drag on for days

Preferences will play a key role in who takes the keys to town hall in the neck-and-neck battle between Nick Reece and Anthony Koutoufides.

  • by Cara Waters
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Candidates for council elections.

We surveyed your local election candidates. See what they really think

Use our interactive to find out which key issues candidates across 31 councils in Greater Melbourne say they will back if elected.

  • by Cara Waters, Rachael Dexter and Nathanael Scott
Nick Reece (left) and Anthony Koutoufides.
Updated

Koutoufides trails Reece in mayoral race – but maybe not for long

Vote counting indicates incumbent Nick Reece leads the mayoral race in the City of Melbourne, but a strong showing for the Liberals means Anthony Koutoufides is also in with a chance.

  • by Cara Waters
A long queue for voting at Drill Hall in the City of Melbourne on Friday afternoon.

‘Absolute debacle’: Council election chaos for last-minute voters

Voting booths were inundated as hundreds queued to cast council election votes in person before the 6pm cut-off.

  • by Rachael Dexter
Melbourne’s lord mayor candidates.
Analysis

No democracy sausage, no sizzle in council elections

Many Victorians are about to be fined $99 for not voting in local council elections, and while it’s easy to blame apathy, the postal process might be the problem.

  • by Cara Waters
An attack ad from “Greens Info”.

Who’s behind ‘Greens Info’, the attack ad linked to a state-owned house?

Mystery surrounds a cashed-up anti-Greens attack outfit called “Greens Info” which lists its address in a most unexpected place.

  • by Rachael Dexter and Tom Cowie
Mooney Valley council candidate Pierce Tyson, Lord Mayor candidate Nick Reece and Port Phillip council candidate Heather Consulo at the solar array on top of Wilson Hall at the University of Melbourne.

Cheaper power promised under renewable energy bulk-buy schemes

Residents and small business owners would get cheaper power bills under a proposed renewable energy bulk-buying scheme covering at least four inner Melbourne councils.

  • by Tom Cowie
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Lord Mayor Nick Reece, Greens candidate Roxane Ingleton. ex-AFL player Anthony Koutoufides and former deputy lord mayor Arron Wood at the Nine debate.

The Greenline ‘albatross’, protests and e-scooters: Lord mayoral candidates debate

Ballots close in just a few days, but fewer than 40 per cent of City of Melbourne residents have voted as lord mayoral candidates battled it out in a last-minute pitch in a live debate on Tuesday.

  • by Cara Waters and Rachael Dexter
Melbourne lord mayoral debate.

As it happened: Melbourne lord mayoral debate

Melbourne lord mayoral candidates Nick Reece, Arron Wood, Roxane Ingleton and Anthony Koutoufides debate their policies ahead of the election.

  • by Cara Waters and Rachael Dexter
Former Kingston councillor Cameron Howe.

Whodunnit solved: Election sign-thrower unmasked as Kingston councillor

It turns out the identity of the sign-thrower wasn’t such a mystery to the good burghers of Melbourne’s south-east.

  • by Tom Cowie and Rachael Dexter
A model walks the runway at the launch of Melbourne Fashion Week on Monday.

Melbourne Fashion Week becomes unlikely battleground for lord mayoral candidates

A candidate is hatching a plan to add another top-flight fashion festival to Melbourne – by stealing it from Sydney.

  • by Cara Waters
Roxane Ingleton is the Greens lord mayoral candidate for the City of Melbourne.

The hidden barrier: Why Roxane Ingleton’s mayoral dream hangs by a thread

The Greens candidate would likely be elected Melbourne’s lord mayor next week if the city operated on a standard electoral system of one vote for every voter.

  • by Cara Waters
Khalid Hussain is one of a handful of teenagers running for council at this year’s local government elections.

‘Yes, I’m young’: The gutsy teenage candidates in Victoria’s council elections

They might not have the life experience of most other candidates, but these plucky teens reckon they’ve got plenty to offer as city councillors.

  • by Sophie Aubrey
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Among the candidates for Lord Mayor of Melbourne are: Jamal Hakim, Arron Wood, current Lord Mayor Nick Reece, Anthony Koutoufides, Roxane Ingleton.
Editorial

Who’s best for Melbourne? The Age cannot endorse mayoral candidates

It’s not only donation reform that is required, but better transparency around who candidates are, what they really stand for, and their political affiliations.

  • The Age's View
Melbourne Town Hall.
Exclusive

Businesses get double voting power in City of Melbourne elections. Now they want more

Melbourne is the only capital city in Australia where businesses get two votes in the council election, while residents only get one.

  • by Rachael Dexter
Aus Post CCTV

Going postal: Council ballot papers stolen in Australia Post van theft

There’s bad news for City of Monash voters who may have to cast their ballots again after an opportunistic thief made off with an Australia Post van.

  • by Rachael Dexter and Tom Cowie
Mayoral promises in the lead up to elections..

Promises, promises. But can Melbourne’s lord mayoral candidates actually deliver?

There are plans to expand the free tram zone, turn office buildings into apartments, provide free coffees and slash myki fares, but only some are feasible.

  • by Cara Waters
Mould infestation photos published by rental advocate and Victorian Socialists candidate Jordan van den Lamb.

‘Slum lord’ tag sticks like mould on Birkenstocks to Greens mayoral candidate

A Greens lord mayoral candidate campaigning as a renter has been outed as a former landlord with tenants who complained about an apartment filled with mould.

  • by Rachael Dexter and Tom Cowie
City of Melbourne councillor and lord mayoral candidate Jamal Hakim fared well out of the preference deals.

The ‘witches’ brew’ of preference deals and how they’ll swing City of Melbourne elections

Backroom wheeling and dealing and the complex science of preference flows could result in an unexpected lord mayor.

  • by Cara Waters
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Voices for Melbourne council candidates Greg Bisinella, Mary Masters and James Vasilev-Robertson.

The plane truth: Melbourne’s most polarising tree stirs spring controversy again

The City of Melbourne has a plan to reduce the dominance of plane trees, but some lord mayoral candidates say it is not going far nor fast enough.

  • by Sophie Aubrey
Lord mayoral candidate Arron Wood wants to install more CCTV and deploy more security officers in Melbourne.
Exclusive

‘Something is deeply wrong’: Elizabeth Street under election spotlight

More CCTV cameras and security officers are among the pledges made by City of Melbourne lord mayoral candidate Arron Wood and his opponent, incumbent Nick Reece.

  • by Cara Waters
The bloke-heavy line-up at the VCCI breakfast on Wednesday.

Sausage breakfast? Lord mayor debate an all-bloke affair

There were three notable absentees at the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry event this week when six male lord mayor hopefuls took to the stage.

  • by Tom Cowie and Rachael Dexter
Former Mayor of Moonee Valley Council Cam Nation.
Updated

‘7 grams of the best’: Former Moonee Valley mayor’s cocaine messages revealed in IBAC probe

A former mayor of an inner-north Melbourne council traded cocaine for favours and workshopped a bribery scheme to pay unnamed councillors up to $60,000 to buy their votes, a wide-ranging anti-corruption investigation has found.

  • by Rachael Dexter
Lord mayoral candidate Arron Wood has promised to revive the Melbourne Money scheme.
Exclusive

Vow to revive Melbourne Money to trim cost of dinner, drinks and a show

Lord mayoral candidate Arron Wood is pledging to bring back the program – expanded to include live music venues – if elected, offering a 20 per cent rebate on the cost of food and drinks in the City of Melbourne.

  • by Cara Waters
Mystery person rips down corflutes in Kingston.

Caught on camera: Signs torn down and turfed in council poster wars

Who is the poster pirate caught ripping down election signs in Chelsea? Welcome to Ward Games, The Age’s coverage of the wacky world of Victoria’s local council elections.

  • by Tom Cowie and Rachael Dexter
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City of Yarra candidate Stephen Jolly has created an alliance of more than 10 independents under the banner Yarra For All.

‘It’s like an outbreak’: How ‘quasi-parties’ will influence your council’s election

We surveyed local election candidates across 31 Greater Melbourne councils. Some didn’t tell us they were members of interest groups. See what your candidates said.

  • by Rachael Dexter and Nathanael Scott
Ranjit Singh, a candidate for the City of Melton council election, is concerned by the state of local roads.

Traffic jams and potholes: See how local election candidates plan to fix roads in your area

Use our interactive to find out what local election candidates in Greater Melbourne will do to fix roads in their areas if elected.

  • by Angus Delaney and Nathanael Scott
Victorian council election surve

‘Too big for their boots’: See what your local election candidates say about Gaza, antisemitism and Australia Day

Use our interactive to read what candidates in Greater Melbourne said when asked if councils should make statements on social issues along with managing roads, rates and rubbish.

  • by Tom Cowie and Nathanael Scott
Housing

Spring Street wants to build thousands of homes. It could face a battle with local election candidates

We surveyed local council election hopefuls across Melbourne about their views on housing, heritage and green space. Use our interactive to see what they said.

  • by Cara Waters, Sophie Aubrey and Nathanael Scott
While many local election candidates claim to be independent, our survey reveals otherwise.

Many of your local election candidates appear to be independent. Our survey reveals otherwise

Use our interactive to see how many candidates in your council area are political party members.

  • by Rachael Dexter and Nathanael Scott
Lord mayoral candidate Arron Wood on Lygon Street in Carlton.
Exclusive

Push to revitalise Melbourne’s neglected high streets

Lord mayoral candidate Arron Wood says he has big plans to beautify some of Melbourne’s run-down high streets – but it won’t come cheap.

  • by Cara Waters
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Victorian council elections 2024 ballot packs.

How to vote in the 2024 Victorian council elections

Victorians are voting in council elections for candidates who will represent them for the next four years. Here’s everything you need to know.

  • by Rachael Dexter and Cara Waters
Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece has backflipped on affordable housing and inclusionary zoning.

Melbourne lord mayor backflips on plans for affordable housing

The economic environment is so bad that the City of Melbourne should abandon plans for affordable housing targets, Lord Mayor Nick Reece told a lord mayoral debate on housing.

  • by Cara Waters
Banyule council candidate and local artist Martin Hirst has been removed from an exhibition line-up – a move he has branded as overkill.

Melbourne council accused of Orwellian interference in art event

Banyule council arranged the removal of two artists from promotional material for an exhibition because they are running as candidates in October’s local government elections.

  • by Rachael Dexter
Sue Tuckerman is among the many holiday home owners who had to opt in by August 7 for Victoria’s October council elections.

How a rule tweak left hundreds of thousands of ratepayers unable to vote

Under a controversial council election change, non-resident ratepayers had to opt in by early August to be able to vote. Many missed the cut, or didn’t know about it.

  • by Sophie Aubrey
Warburton businessman Chris Thomas, who says it’s fair for tourists to pay for parking.

Cash grab or fair deal? Paid parking is coming to these popular day-trip areas

Tourists are facing parking fees in busy spots that have been traditionally free, as councils seek to raise revenue from day trippers.

  • by Benjamin Preiss

Original URL: https://www.watoday.com.au/national/victoria/victorian-council-elections-20240827-p5k5u4.html