Council & Business
5 November, 2024
Early vote count produces clear victories in some wards, and uncertainity in others
As we count down the days until the council election results are officially announced, one thing has become clear — some candidates can no longer play the numbers game to victory, as the changing ethos of the community is now a deciding measure.
So far the race has already produced two decisive winners from Maryborough, and a hard to beat margin in other parts of the shire.
But among the five seats being contested, all eyes are presently on the Paddys Ranges Ward, which is sitting on the knife’s edge with a mere five vote difference between incumbent candidate Chris Meddows-Taylor and promising challenger Ben Green.
Who cuts through with a majority depends on whose vision holds more sway with the community — is it Mr Meddows-Taylor’s notable experience in the role or will it be Mr Green’s fresh “happy to bat for the underdog” approach?
It is not the first time Mr Meddows-Taylor has found himself in this uncertain nail-biting position.
In 2008, he won the seat by a very narrow three-vote margin.
Four years later, in 2012, he lost the election to John Andrew Van Beveren, who won with a 5 percent edge.
Since 2016 however, for nearly a decade, Mr Meddows-Taylor has had no competition, allowing him to hold on to the Paddys Ranges seat firmly.
While it’s certain history will repeat itself, only when the preliminary results are declared on November 6 will we know which chapter is mirrored.
Elsewhere in the remaining wards, tensions are low as clear victories start to emerge.
In the Maryborough Central Ward, progressive count figures show Gerard Murphy leading with 73.54 percent of votes in his favour, leaving Lowen Clarke trailing significantly behind.
Higher up in the Maryborough North Ward, Geoffrey Bartlett will likely replace former councillor Wayne Sproull with 261 votes dividing the two.
Last week, after the initial figures were made public, Mr Sproull released a statement on Facebook stating that while there were still more votes to count, it was “unlikely” he’d make up the difference.
“I won’t say I’m not disappointed but that’s democracy,” he said.
“I would like to thank all the people who have helped and supported me, not only over the election period but the whole council term.
“I’ll be watching closely and will continue to work with the amazing people I have worked with over the past four years on projects that have benefited our community.”
On the other side, in Maryborough’s east ward, while Jacob Meyer has established a dominant footing in the contest, his opponent Trevor Stevens is not far behind with 48 votes standing between them — a margin Mr Meyer will fight to widen, but one that Mr Stevens could just as easily close.
Finally in Flynn, the last ward being contested, 57.88 percent of residents have picked previous office-holder Liesbeth Long as their preferred candidate, whereas the rest have voted for newcomer Raymond Sexton.
With around 370 votes left to be counted, it is likely Ms Long’s lead will persist.
All speculation will be put to rest this Friday, on November 8, when the official results for the Central Goldfields Shire Council Elections are declared by the Victorian Electorate Commission at 3 pm.
The new councillors, two of whom were uncontested candidates Grace La Vella and Anna De Villiers, will then be sworn in on Wednesday, November 13 at the Maryborough Town Hall.