Wards of Boroondara

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Wards are an electoral subdivision of Boroondara. Boroondara City Council has ten wards represented by one elected councillor each. A new ward, Riversdale, will be filled at the upcoming 2020 election following reforms instituted by the Victorian Government.

From 1996 to 2020, Boroondara was one of only two municipalities in Victoria to have an even number of councillors.

History

The Boroondara Road District was not politically subdivided. Its 12 members could be elected from anywhere across the District. This system was carried over into its successor, the Shire of Boroondara until 1889. In 1888, the Shire voted to divide the municipality into three ridings with three councillors representing each: North, Centre and South.[1]

Upon the establishment of the City of Camberwell, this three riding system was continued, but with the ridings now being named 'wards'. There were several attempts throughout the late 1920s and early 1930s to create a fourth ward in the City. Opposition to this proposal was enough to keep it from occuring for some years, but in 1934 the Council finally received approval for a further subdivision. This split the North Ward into the North East and North West Wards.

1996 to 2020

The creation of the City of Boroondara in 1996 resulted in reforms to its governance and, as a result, its subdivisions. Ten new wards were established:

In 2008, a subdivision review by the Victorian Electoral Commission considered implementing multi-member representation. However, in its final report and following submissions from the community, its recommendation was to retain the status quo.

Present day

In its 2019 subdivision review, the Victorian Electoral Commission recommended reforms to establish multi-member wards. However, the Victorian Government overrode these recommendations and instead maintained single-member wards. The reforms resulted in an additional ward, Riversdale, being added to the list of the existing ten. The 2020 council election was the first with the new ward in place.

References

  1. The Argus. Municipal Intelligence. 15 March 1888. http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/6110060, accessed: 18 September 2016