Doubts emerge on ward review enrolment figures

VICTORIAN Electoral Commission figures being used for a review of Loddon Shire boundaries could be incomplete.

Doubts have emerged in the past week that the current enrolments in each of the Loddon’s five wards do not include nonresident property owners who are also entitled to a vote in local government elections.

An analysis of figures released by the VEC last week shows substantially fewer voters on the roll than the 2020 elections.

A VEC spokesperson had said enrolments in each ward last month were: Boort 1187, Inglewood 1325, Tarnagulla 1027, Terrick 1202 and Wedderburn 1082.

However, VEC published figures from the 2020 election show there were 1401 voters on the roll in Boort, 1539 in Wedderburn, 1394 in Tarnagulla and 1417 in Wedderburn.

Terrick Ward was uncontested and the VEC has not published any data on that ward’s enrolment in 2020.

Current boundaries, that see two of the shire’s biggest town’s in Inglewood Ward, will be reviewed by the VEC for the first time since 2011.

New boundaries will be in place before the 2024 October elections with the ward enrolment variation no more than 10 per cent. Victorian Electoral Commission was contacted for comment.