2020-11-06
The Victorian Greens are on track for their most successful local government election ever by securing a record number of councillors, including Victoria’s first ever Greens-majority council in Yarra.
While some results are still yet to come in, the Greens have already secured more than 30 spots on councils across metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria, with local people who ran strong grassroots campaigns even through the challenges of the pandemic.
The 34 local Greens Councillors that have been elected so far will sit on the following councils: Ballarat, Banyule (2), Colac-Otway, Darebin (3), Glen Eira, Golden Plains, Greater Dandenong, Geelong, Shepparton, Hobsons Bay, Manningham, Maribyrnong (2), Melbourne (2), Monash (2), Moreland (4), Port Phillip (2), Stonnington (2), Surf Coast and Yarra (5).
The Greens have increased their representation in councils right across Victoria including in Yarra, Stonnington, Maribyrnong, Shepparton, Monash and Surf Coast Shire.
The strong election result comes despite a number of challenges to Greens candidates including the inability to doorknock due to COVID-19 restrictions, the shift to single member wards in some councils led by Adem Somyurek as previous local Government Minister, and an increasing number of ALP-branded candidates.
Victorian Greens acting leader, Ellen Sandell, said the results so far had made it clear that the Greens’ plan for a sustainable COVID-19 recovery that focused on renewable energy, housing affordability and reviving local shopping strips and local jobs had resonated with Victorians across the state.
This green wave follows similar successes for the party this year in both the ACT and Queensland.
Quotes attributable to Acting Leader of the Victorian Greens, Ellen Sandell MP:
"Our Greens Councillors are local people who will stand up for their local communities. The election result shows that people want to see strong local voices on Council who will help lead us out of the COVID recession with projects like building affordable housing, reviving our local shopping strips and cafes, and creating jobs through climate action.
"I'm so pleased to see all these hard-working local Greens Councillors get elected in historic numbers right across the state, and can't wait to see them deliver for their local communities."