Women and young people wanted for Victorian councils

  • 2012-07-16
Young Victorians and women are being urged to put themselves forward for council elections later this year.

Victoria currently has 620 councillors but fewer than 10% of them are under 35 and only 29% of councillors are female. Now, campaigns have been launched to try to change both these statistics.

The Municipal Association of Victoria is urging young people from across Victoria, including Hawthorn, to stand in the elections that take place in October, while the Victorian Local Government Association has launched a campaign to encourage women to stand.

Municipal Association chief executive Rob Spence said young people could bring important views to a council chamber. He said decades of experience were not always necessary and a young person’s perspective was just as valued.

The Local Government Association is aiming to have women standing in 90% of the Victoria wards this year and hopes to get at least 700 female candidates. President Samantha Dunn said women should not worry about having all the skills to be a councillor because much could be learnt as they went along.

Anyone who does decide to stand for council needs to make sure they are well-equipped for the campaign trail. Flyer printing and poster printing can help to publicise campaigns like this and tell local voters about a candidate’s background and plans for the area.

The elections will be held on Saturday, October 27 and nominations open on Monday, September 24. Anyone interested in standing in his or her local election can find out more information from the Victoria Electoral Commission website.