The Wellington Shire is subdivided into three wards – Northern, Central and Coastal – each with three Councillors.
Council general elections are held every four years with the next general election scheduled for Saturday 26 October 2024.
The election process is coordinated by the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC), with additional information relating to boundaries, enrolment, election results and more available directly from the VEC website.
To nominate as a candidate for election as a Wellington Shire Councillor you must be:
You must ensure the disqualifications under s 34(2) of the Local Government Act 2020 do not apply to you.
Additionally, the Local Government Act 2020 requires candidates to complete prescribed training to nominate for election. Further details are available at Local Government Victoria.
In partnership with Victorian councils, the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) is delivering a number of information sessions for the community and prospective candidates. These sessions can be attended either in-person or online.
The following Gippsland sessions are available:
Further information and the link to register is available at Stand for Council | MAV website
Useful resources for potential candidates are included below:
Further information will be included on this page as it becomes available.
Women currently comprise 44% of Wellington Shire’s councillors. Council continues to encourage greater participation of women in local government.
Council supports a 50/50 gender representation in our governing body for our Council by 2025 in line with the targets set by the Minister for Local Government, which is a key action in our Gender Equality Action Plan 2021-25.
Wellington Shire Council was pleased to be identified as one of the 31 target municipalities where the State Government offered a funded Women Leading Locally Fellowship Program.
Useful resources for potential candidates are included below:
The purpose of the Election Period Policy is to outline the continuation of the ordinary business of Council throughout the election period in a responsible and transparent manner, in accordance with statutory requirements and best practice. The policy aims to ensure that elections are conducted in an ethical, fair and equitable manner and are publicly perceived as such.
During the 2024 Council general elections, the election period will start on Tuesday 24 September 2024 and finish at 6:00pm on election day, Saturday 26 October 2024.
The Election Campaign Donation Returns document from the 2020 general election is available for download on the link below and provides details of any gifts received by the candidate, or on behalf of the candidate.
This is during the election period, used for or in connection with the election campaign and includes goods or services.
The Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) is reviewing the ward boundaries of Wellington Shire Council at the request of the Minister for Local Government and is seeking your input.
Information about the review, the preliminary report and proposed model are available online at Wellington Shire Council | Victorian Electoral Commission.
Submissions to the VEC review may be made online or by the following methods:
Submissions close at 5 pm on Wednesday 6 March.
Questions about the review process should be directed to the VEC on 131 832.
At the end of the review, the VEC will make a final recommendation to the Minister for Local Government. Any changes to the ward boundaries of Wellington Shire Council following this review are expected to apply at the next local council elections. To find out more visit vec.vic.gov.au.
*A public hearing is scheduled for those who have requested to speak in support of their response submission. If there are no requests to speak, the hearing will not be held. To find out more about the review process and how you can have your say, visit vec.vic.gov.au/wellington.