The 2016 Victorian local elections were held on 22 October 2016 to elect the councils of the 79 local government areas in Victoria, Australia.
The elections saw the largest-ever amount of Greens councillors elected, with the party increasing their local government representatives from 17 to 29. The Labor Party and Liberal Party did not endorse any candidates.
Party changes before elections A number of councillors joined or left parties before the 2016 elections. Council Ward Councillor Former party New party Date Campaspe Kyabram Robert Danieli Independent Katter's Australian November/December 2012 Darebin Cazaly Vince Fontana Labor Independent 6 December 2012 Darebin Cazaly Vince Fontana Independent Mutual 30 January 2014 Darebin Cazaly Julie Williams Independent Mutual 30 January 2014 Glen Eira Rosstown Neil Pilling Greens Independent 20 May 2014 Darebin La Trobe Gaetano Greco Labor Independent Post-May 2014 Darebin Cazaly Vince Fontana Mutual Independent 2014 Darebin Cazaly Julie Williams Mutual Independent 2014 Moreland North-West John Kavanagh Democratic Labour Independent 2014 Moonee Valley Myrnong Cam Nation Independent Liberal No East West Link 15 September 2014 Moyne Unsubdivided James Purcell Independent Vote 1 Local Jobs October 2014 Greater Bendigo Lockwood Elise Chapman Independent Country Alliance 15 October 2014 Greater Geelong Austin John Irvine Independent Country Alliance 16 October 2014 Port Phillip Albert Park Amanda Stevens Labor Independent Labor 26 February 2015 Moyne Unsubdivided Jim Doukas Independent Country Alliance Mid-2015 Moonee Valley Myrnong Cam Nation No East West Link Independent 2015 Greater Bendigo Lockwood Elise Chapman Country Alliance Independent 2015 Greater Geelong Austin John Irvine Country Alliance Independent 2015 Greater Bendigo Lockwood Elise Chapman Independent One Nation 8 January 2016 Yarra Langridge Stephen Jolly Socialist The Socialists 22 February 2016 Moonee Valley Rose Hill John Sipek Labor Independent Mid-2016 Darebin Cazaly Julie Williams Independent Labor Pre-October 2016
Results
Party Votes % Swing Seats Change Independents Labor Liberal Burwood Liberals Greens 29 11 Independent National Team Doyle 27,116 3 Together Melbourne 6,578 1 Phil Cleary Means Business 5,667 1 Stephen Mayne T.I.A.E. 3,666 0 Team Morgan - A City That Works 3,557 1 Strengthening Melbourne 1,905 0 Listening To Locals 1,718 0 An Indigenous Voice On Council 1,534 1 1 Serving Melbourne With Integrity 1,519 0 The Light On The Hill Team 960 0 The Heritage Agenda 816 0 Melburnian Voice 808 0 Science 82 0 Liberal Democrats 1 1 The Socialists 1 1 Rise Up Australia 1 Socialist Alliance 1 Animal Justice 0 Independent Labor
Aftermath
On 8 November, Melbourne councillor-elect Brooke Wandin (An Indigenous Voice On Council) stood down from her position amid an investigation by the Local Government Investigations and Compliance Inspectorate into her eligibility. Wandin and former councillor Richard Foster were later charged with electoral fraud, with prosecutors alleging Wandin did not live at the Kensington address she had nominated when registering for election. Both parties plead guilty to charges of electoral fraud; Foster received a 12-month good behaviour bond, while Wandin was placed onto a diversion program. Nic Frances Gilley was declared elected in Wandin's place.
Additionally in Melbourne, Phil Cleary Means Business councillor Michael Caiafa lost his seat in March 2017 after it was determined he was not duly elected. Team Doyle's Susan Riley was declared elected in his place.
In April 2017, hundreds of people reported receiving infringement notices for allegedly having not voted, despite claiming that they had.
By-elections and countbacks The Victorian Electoral Commission held a number of by-elections and countbacks to fill vacancies on councils after the 2016 elections up until the 2020 elections.
Casey City Council was sacked on 18 February 2020 before two countbacks could occur.
By-elections Council Ward Before Change Result after preference distributionCouncillorPartyCauseDateDatePartyCandidate%Northern GrampiansSouth WestSharon TelfordIndependentResignation5 October 201717 February 2018 Independent Stephen Gardner 52.17 Independent Christine Fitzgerald 47.83PyreneesBeaufortMichael O'ConnorIndependentDeath15 May 201817 August 2018 Independent Damian Ferrari 51.16 Independent Barbara Blamey 32.56KnoxCollierJackson TaylorLabor Elected to Victorian Parliament6 December 201830 March 2019 Independent Marcia Timmers-Leitch 53.04 Independent Robert Williams 28.87HepburnColibanSebastian KleinIndependentResignation18 December 20185 April 2019 Ind. Labor Licia Kokocinski 58.82 Independent John McLaren 41.18Swan HillMurray-MalleeGary NortonIndependentResignation2 January 201929 March 2019 Independent Nicole McKay 63.61 Independent Allen Ridgeway 36.39Swan HillRobinvaleJohn KatisIndependentResignation14 January 201929 March 2019 Ind. National Jade Benham N/A Elected unopposedSurf CoastAngleseaLibby CokerLaborElection to Australian Parliament15 June 201930 August 2019 Independent Tony Revell 62.24 Independent Harry Rosson 37.76MooraboolWoodlandsPat TooheyIndependentDeath19 September 201914 December 2019 Independent Lawry Borgelt 50.10 Independent Ally Giofches 36.88StrathbogieHoneysuckle CreekKate StothersIndependentResignation24 December 201921 March 2020 Independent Chris Raeburn 53.29 Independent Tom Maher 21.71CorangamiteCentralWayne OakesIndependentDeath19 April 202027 June 2020 Independent Geraldine Conheadyn 57.85 Independent Michael Emerson 42.15
Countbacks Council Ward Before Change AfterCouncillor PartyCauseDateDateCouncillor Party Queenscliffe Unsubdivided Helene Cameron Independent Resignation 2 November 2016 21 November 2016 Bob Merriman Independent Melbourne Unsubdivided Brooke Wandin Indigenous Voice On Council Not eligible to stand 8 November 2016 14 March 2017 Nic Frances Gilley Indigenous Voice On Council East Gippsland Unsubdivided Linette Treasure Independent Resignation 16 January 2017 14 February 2017 Jackson Roberts Independent Casey Mayfield Rex Flannery Independent Resignation 8 March 2017 3 April 2017 Gary Rowe Liberal Melbourne Unsubdivided Michael Caiafa Phil Cleary Means Business Not duly elected 14 March 2017 14 March 2017 Susan Riley Team Doyle Whitehorse Elgar Tanya Tescher Burwood Liberals Resignation 3 April 2017 9 May 2017 Blair Barker Burwood Liberals Whittlesea North John Butler Liberal Death 6 September 2017 4 October 2017 Tom Joseph Independent Wangaratta City Ruth Amer Independent Death 5 October 2017 13 November 2017 Ashlee Fitzpatrick Independent Wellington Northern Keith Mills Independent Resignation 23 October 2017 15 November 2017 Carmel Ripper Independent Mount Alexander Castlemaine Tony Bell Independent Resignation 9 October 2017 22 November 2017 Dave Petrusma Independent Moreland South Samantha Ratnam Greens Elected to Victorian Parliament 11 October 2017 22 November 2017 Jess Dorney Greens Ararat Unsubdivided Paul Hooper Independent Resignation 1 November 2017 29 November 2017 Bill Braithwaite Independent Melbourne Unsubdivided Tessa Sullivan Team Doyle Resignation 15 December 2017 15 January 2018 Beverley Pinder-Mortimer Team Doyle Mount Alexander Castlemaine Robin Taylor Independent Resignation 13 February 2018 7 March 2018 Max Lesser Independent Ararat Unsubdivided Glenda McLean Independent Resignation 20 April 2018 21 May 2018 Fay Hull Independent Ararat Unsubdivided Darren Ford Independent Resignation 9 May 2018 6 June 2018 Frank Deutsch Independent Maroondah Wyreena Michael Macdonald Independent Resignation 25 June 2018 16 July 2018 Tasa Damante Liberal Pyrenees Beaufort Darren Ford Independent Resignation 9 May 2018 6 June 2018 Frank Deutsch Independent Colac Otway Unsubdivided Terry Woodcroft Independent Resignation 6 August 2018 27 August 2018 Brian Crook Independent South Gippsland Tarwin Valley Maxine Kiel Independent Resignation 26 September 2018 22 October 2018 Rosemary Cousin Greens Greater Bendigo Whipstick Julie Hoskin Independent Resignation 21 September 2018 23 October 2018 Malcolm Pethybridge Independent South Gippsland Tarwin Valley Meg Edwards Liberal Resignation 30 October 2018 5 November 2018 James Fawcett Independent Mildura Unsubdivided Max Thorburn Independent Death 18 October 2018 13 November 2018 Gavin Sedgmen Independent Liberal Dandenong Paperbark Meng Heang Tak Labor Elected to Victorian Parliament 27 November 2018 8 January 2019 Sophie Tan Labor Corangamite Central Bev McArthur Liberal Elected to Victorian Parliament 6 December 2018 18 December 2018 Wayne Oakes Independent Mildura Unsubdivided Ali Cupper Independent Elected to Victorian Parliament 7 December 2018 15 January 2019 Helen Healy Independent Maribyrnong Stony Creek Catherine Cumming Justice Elected to Victorian Parliament 11 December 2018 21 January 2019 Megan Bridger-Darling Labor Glen Eira Tucker Nina Taylor Labor Elected to Victorian Parliament 12 December 2018 9 January 2019 Anne-Marie Cade Independent Wodonga Unsubdivided Tim Quilty Liberal Democrats Elected to Victorian Parliament 12 December 2018 14 January 2019 Brian Mitchell Independent South Gippsland Strzelecki Lorraine Brunt Independent Resignation 28 February 2019 1 April 2019 Frank Hirst Independent South Gippsland Tarwin Valley James Fawcett Independent Resignation 28 February 2019 1 April 2019 No candidate declared elected South Gippsland Tarwin Valley N/A N/A No candidate declared elected 3 April 2019 8 April 2019 Steve Finlay Independent Yarra Nicholls Mike McEvoy Greens Resignation 3 April 2019 8 May 2019 Bridgid O'Brien Victorian Socialists South Gippsland Coastal-Promontory Jeremy Rich Independent Resignation after drug charges 22 April 2019 27 May 2019 Matthew Sherry United Australia Melton Coburn Melissa De Santis Independent Resignation 9 May 2019 12 June 2019 Yvonne Sebire Independent Surf Coast Winchelsea Carol McGregor Independent Resignation 3 June 2019 2 July 2019 James McIntyre Independent Buloke Lower Avoca John Shaw Independent Resignation 13 August 2019 17 September 2019 Bronwyn Simpson Independent Greater Bendigo Whipstick Yvonne Wrigglesworth Independent Resignation 12 September 2019 8 October 2019 Susie Hawke Independent Greater Dandenong Paperback Roz Blades Labor Resignation 12 October 2019 11 November 2019 Peter Brown Independent Queenscliffe Unsubdivided Tony Francis Independent Resignation 7 November 2019 2 December 2019 Robert Minty Independent Strathbogie Lake Nagambie Debra Bower Independent Resignation 17 December 2019 20 January 2020 Robert Gardner Independent Gannawarra Patchell Mark Arians Independent Resignation 3 February 2020 14 February 2020 Jenny Fawcett Independent Gannawarra Yarran Sonia Wright Independent Resignation 3 February 2020 2 March 2020 Andrew Gibbs Independent Warrnambool Unsubdivided Peter Hulin Independent Resignation 12 February 2020 11 March 2020 Peter Sycopoulis Liberal Casey Springfield Rex Flannery Independent Resignation 14 February 2020 Council sacked before countback Casey Edrington Timothy Jackson Independent Labor Resignation 14 February 2020 Council sacked before countback Brimbank Grasslands Lucinda Congreve Independent Resignation 1 March 2020 30 March 2020 Janev Aziz Independent Ararat Unsubdivided David Pettman Independent Resignation 3 April 2020 7 May 2020 Bernadine Atkinson Independent
Notes
References