Victorian Local Governance Association

Brighten up a rainy Friday, with the latest on all things local government from Chris Eddy, Tony Raunic and Julie Reid on this week's TGU. On the menu this week, stories from the campaign trail; the councillor who resigned to be able to speak freely during the election campaign; a live TV debate with Lord Mayoral candidates; help on the way for regional councils dealing with a shortage of municipal building surveyors; the candidate campaigning on having a beer and watching the football; councils cop another whack about the pace of housing approvals; and much more. The VLGA's Rhys Thomas provides analysis on elections candidates and discusses where there could be some opportunities for improvement. Watch here: https://lnkd.in/g52tJXbG or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Sponsored by Hunt & Hunt Lawyers

The total number of women running for council in 2024 is 2.9% higher than in 2020! But… on the current numbers, it does not look like the goal of 50/50 gender representation in local government will be reached by the 2025 target date. Women make up 39% of the total number of nominations in 2024. In regional areas women make up 37%, and in metropolitan councils, 40% of candidates.

Nominations for the 2024 Local Government elections are in, and campaigns are now in full swing with ballot packs arriving in mailboxes! The VLGA team has conducted a review of the 2211 nominations received – a record number of people putting their hands up to run! Stay tuned over the coming days for some of the interesting insights into this year’s elections.

Gender equality is a key factor to ensuring good governance. Electing equal numbers of men and women, and increasing the representation of non-binary and LGBTIQ+ people, is important for healthy local democracies. Analysis of candidate data released by the VEC so far by our partners Gender Lens Australia, shows we still have a way to go towards gender equality in local government. Through our partnerships with councils, our Local Women Leading Change program and our leadership of the Women’s Charter, the VLGA will continue to work towards gender equity in local government beyond the 2024 election period.

After a brief break, the panel of Chris Eddy, Tony Raunic and Julie Reid is back for more TGU from VLGA Connect, sponsored by Hunt & Hunt Lawyers. Up for discussion this week - a new report from Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) on an investigation in bribery and misconduct allegations at Moonee Valley City Council; vandalism and theft on the campaign trail in Victoria; a record number of candidates; why you should make you’re on the roll and do the training first; Councils reveal the most popular dog names and breeds; and much more. Rhys Thomas returns to talk about the voting process, including how to vote and the common mistakes that make votes informal. Also what happens if one of the candidates has been retired? Watch here 👀 https://ow.ly/EUNH50TJjLV or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. 🎧

LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER! Join hosts Chris Eddy and Diane Kalen-Sukra, MA, CMC and leaders from around the world tomorrow morning for the Global Civility Summit. Learn strategies for tackling the rise of incivility, and how we can work better together. Registration is free! Save your place here: https://lnkd.in/geHMRzpw

The VLGA is delighted to announce the appointment of Anya Murray as Head of Stakeholder Engagement, commencing Monday 14 October. Anya is an experienced strategic communications and stakeholder engagement professional with extensive corporate, state and local government experience. With a career spanning more than 25 years, Anya has spent the last 15 years leading high performing communications, media and strategic engagement teams in the local government sector. She is a natural storyteller, who is passionate about enhancing the reputation of councils and celebrating the vital work they do for the communities they are elected to represent. Anya started her career as a journalist, completing her cadetship at Fairfax and later moving to News Corp where she worked across a variety of mastheads, first as a reporter and later as a News Editor and Chief of Staff. A passion for delivering positive outcomes for communities saw Anya transition to government communications where she has built a deep understanding of the inner workings of councils and recognises the importance of good governance. During this time she has specialised in media and crisis management, community engagement, advocacy, digital and print content production, brand enhancement, emergency management and risk mitigation. Anya holds a Bachelor of Arts ( Journalism) from RMIT and also a Graduate Certificate in Business Management. We welcome Anya to the VLGA. “During my time working in local government, both at Greater Dandenong City Council and more recently at Yarra, I have seen firsthand what can be achieved when good governance practices are at the forefront of council decision making. “The VLGA is a highly respected and trusted advisor, with a proven track record of advocating for, educating and supporting councillors to deliver better outcomes for local communities. "I am really looking forward to joining the team and contributing to the next exciting chapter in the VLGA’s history.“ - Anya Murray Local Government News Roundup Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) Victorian Electoral Commission Inside Local Government Local Government Inspectorate Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC)

It's the last of our special edition TGU in Review series, and as we draw closer to the end of this council term, Chris Eddy, Kathryn Arndt and Rhys Thomas reflect on the last four years and the issues which shaped local government. Watch here: https://lnkd.in/gB55Afrh or download wherever you get your podcasts. Chris and the TGU team will return on 4 October, with the latest local government news.

Nominations for the 2024 Local Government Elections are now closed! 👀 Stay tuned to see who is running in your local area 👀

Standing as a candidate? The last day to lodge your nomination, along with your candidate statement, photographs and questionnaire is 12 noon tomorrow, 17 September. Ready to run? Find out more about becoming a candidate Victorian Electoral Commission here: https://ow.ly/SIU750Th11m