2020-11-27
In Victoria’s recent local government elections, the Greens experienced historic wins around the state. It shows our messages have a broad receptive audience at the local level, which is rich with opportunities for the Greens.
By Josh Fergeus
This was not the election campaign that anyone expected. In early 2020, then Local Government Minister Adem Somyurek was shepherding a destructive new Local Government Act through the Victorian Parliament. The Act essentially aimed to exclude independents and minor parties, particularly the Greens, from local councils throughout metropolitan Melbourne through the introduction of single-member wards, a fact the Minister did not even bother to deny. Then came COVID-19 and with it bans on doorknocking, stalls and face-to-face conversations with voters. It was going to be a hard slog.
Wind forward to November 2020. Adem Somyurek has been ousted after a year-long investigation by 60 Minutes and The Age into rampant branch-stacking within the Victorian branch of the Labor Party, COVID-19 restrictions are being wound back across the state, and the Victorian Greens have elected a record 36 councillors across 21 municipalities. These historic wins represent an increase in our numbers by 50% post-election. Among our number are 17 women, 10 councillors who identify as LGBTIQ+, and nine under 35 years of age (including myself, barely).
Heading into the campaign one of our main concerns was our ability to elect new councillors. Without the ability to meet residents and ratepayers face-to-face, how were excellent candidates going to build the profile they needed to compete with the well-resourced campaigns of Labor, the Liberals and the National Party? The small number of councils who had previously run attendance elections were forced into postal ballots, and several councils had already been shifted to single-member wards, much harder for Greens to win than the previous multi-member arrangements.
We shouldn’t have worried. Or, perhaps, we worried just the right amount. Not only did we re-elect 14 of 15 incumbents running for re-election, missing out re-electing Cr Michael Schilling to a single-member ward in fairly hostile territory by the smallest of margins, but we elected an astounding 22 new Greens councillors to join them. This includes:
- Doubling our representation in the suburbs, including electing two councillors in Monash, Stonnington, Maribyrnong and Banyule, retaining our seats in Hobsons Bay and Glen Eira, and winning single-member wards for the first time in Manningham, Nillumbik, Boroondara and Greater Dandenong;
- Electing record numbers of Greens in the regions, including re-electing Councillor Belinda Coates in Ballarat and Councillor Sarah Mansfield in Greater Geelong with phenomenal primary votes, returning Councillor Stephen Hart for a fifth term in Colac-Otway Shire, and electing Greens for the first time to Surf Coast, Golden Plains and Greater Shepparton;
- Holding our ground in the inner city, returning multiple councillors in Melbourne, Port Phillip, Moreland and Darebin, despite the latter shifting to single member wards, and winning five out of nine seats in Yarra, forming Australia’s first Greens majority government.
Despite our traditional methods of campaigning heavily centred around meaningful conversations with voters, we were able to successfully pivot to run the strongest digital campaign we’ve seen across vast swathes of Victoria. Voters in Ardmona, Christmas Hills and Rokewood have likely never received targeted messages from the Greens before, until now.
And enough of them liked what they saw that they’ve elected their first Greens representatives at the local level. Messages from the Victorian Electoral Commission around campaign rules changed regularly, but this concerted and targeted online effort, combined with high quality branding, well-designed letterboxing materials and the strength of our policy messages cut through in what was often a scattered and challenging campaign environment.
It’s important for the Party to understand that this is not a fluke. In Victoria we have spent years professionalising how we support and harness the skills and experience of existing councillors. Unlike some other states, Victorian councillors receive only a small allowance to allow them to invest time in representing their community, and no dedicated staffing support.
It’s therefore a huge ask for councillors to also contribute to the Party, but clearly if we are to learn from our wins and our failures, if we are to mentor and develop new talent, and if we are to improve our community engagement practices and local policy development this is exactly what needs to happen. By providing appropriate staffing support to councillors and council candidates and by acknowledging the value of local government, the Party successfully leveraged the incredible pool of knowledge and expertise at our disposal into record results.
Local government is rich with opportunities for the Greens. Our messages have a broad receptive audience at the local level. Those who may not vote with far-flung environmental wonders top of mind often are concerned about their local environment. They’ll care about the park they ride in with their children and the trees at the end of their street. They may only care in the abstract about the condition of public schools or access to healthcare in other states, but they care a great deal about the footpath outside their home and the state of the playground their grandchildren use. It’s a great place to start conversations, and a great place to build our movement.
Josh Fergeus is a Greens councillor in the City of Monash.
Hero image: Kaboompics .com via Pexels.