Time to vote for your council

By Robert Muir

Sep 10, 2024

Federation Council ratepayers and residents will go to the polls this Saturday, September 14 to elect nine councillors for the next four years.

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Forty candidates are contesting the election, comprising seven groups of five candidates each, and five individual candidates.

There will be certain changes to the make-up of the nine-member councillor team after three councillors announced they will not be seeking re-election. Councillors Gail Law, David Longley and Aaron Nicholls are not seeking re-election.

Voting is compulsory and penalties of $55 will apply to those who do not register to vote.

Pre-polling began last Saturday, September 7 and will take place until this Friday, September 13 at the Memorial Hall Corowa or the council office in Urana.

Pre-polling times for the remainder of this week before Saturday are, for the Memorial Hall 8.30am to 5.30pm Wednesday (today), 8.30am to 8.00pm Thursday and 8.30am to 6.00pm Friday; at Urana, 9.00am to 5.00pm each day.

Saturday’s voting is from 8.00am to 6.00pm at:

Corowa Public School, 244 Honour Avenue
Corowa South Public School, 158 Hume Street
Howlong Public School, Hawkins Street
Mulwala Civic Centre, 71 Melbourne Street
Oaklands Central School, Coreen Street
Urana Public School, 62 William Street.

In addition to their councillor ballot paper, voters will be given a council ‘poll’ ballot paper to complete, as decided by council earlier this year.

To cost council $20,000, the poll decision was made because of the concern for adequate representation on council by councillors from the northern end of the Federation Council area and the State Government decision to merge the Urana and Corowa Shires.

You will be asked three questions:

Do you believe that the forced amalgamation by the State Government in 2016 was a mistake?
Should the State Government compensate ratepayers for the ongoing costs of the amalgamation?
Do you support that council should approach the State Government to guarantee representation for the former Urana Shire?

Each question requires a ‘Yes’ or a ‘No’ answer by way of a tick in the square next to the word. Voting in respect of the council poll regarding the three above questions is not compulsory.