High Time For More Women In Local Government
In a state-wide push to mark International Women’s Day, the Andrews Labor Government is calling for greater gender diversity in local government.
Releasing information on how individual councils rate, Minister for Local Government Natalie Hutchins said it’s high time our councils are representative of the communities they serve.
Only 34.9 per cent of all Victorian councillors are women, and while 60.81 per cent of all workers in local government are women, only 16.5 per cent are chief executive officers.
On the bottom end of the scale, female representation for councillors drops to 14.3 per cent in seven of Victoria’s 79 councils including Banyule City Council, Colac-Otway Shire Council, Gannawarra Shire Council, Hepburn Shire Council, Moorabool Shire Council, Moyne Shire Council and Swan Hill Rural City Council.
In these seven councils there is only one female councillor compared to six males.
On the other end of the scale, Port Phillip City Council and Melton City Council have five female councillors out of seven, representing 71.4 per cent.
Ms Hutchins has written to all Mayors to seek their Council’s support in encouraging more women to stand as candidates in the October elections.
The Labor Government is providing $50,000 for the Victorian Local Governance Association’s (VLGA) GoWomenLG 2016 project, which aims to increase the number of female candidates across the state.
This additional funding will build on past support for encouraging women from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds to consider nominating as candidates.
Full gender breakdown of Victoria’s 79 councils and the 624 councillors is attached in Table 1.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Local Government Natalie Hutchins
“The Labor Government is urging women from across Victoria to consider standing as candidates this October to ensure our councils better reflect our local communities.”
“It’s unacceptable that in 2016 women still only make up around a third of all councillors and that they still don’t reach the senior management levels within their organisations.”
“Improving the representation of women at the senior level in both the public and private sectors is a key priority for the Labor Government and one we work tirelessly to achieve.”
Table 1
| FULL MUNICIPALITY | No of Councillors | Male | Female | % Male | % Female |
| Alpine Shire Council | 7 | 5 | 2 | 71.4% | 28.6% |
| Ararat Rural City Council | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57.1% | 42.9% |
| Ballarat City Council | 9 | 5 | 4 | 55.6% | 44.4% |
| Banyule City Council | 7 | 6 | 1 | 85.7% | 14.3% |
| Bass Coast Shire Council | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57.1% | 42.9% |
| Baw Baw Shire Council | 9 | 6 | 3 | 66.7% | 33.3% |
| Bayside City Council | 7 | 5 | 2 | 71.4% | 28.6% |
| Benalla Rural City Council | 7 | 3 | 4 | 42.9% | 57.1% |
| Boroondara City Council | 10 | 7 | 3 | 70.0% | 30.0% |
| Brimbank City Council | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Buloke Shire Council | 7 | 5 | 2 | 71.4% | 28.6% |
| Campaspe Shire Council | 9 | 6 | 3 | 66.7% | 33.3% |
| Cardinia Shire Council | 9 | 5 | 4 | 55.6% | 44.4% |
| Casey City Council | 11 | 7 | 4 | 63.6% | 36.4% |
| Central Goldfields Shire Council | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57.1% | 42.9% |
| Colac-Otway Shire Council | 7 | 6 | 1 | 85.7% | 14.3% |
| Corangamite Shire Council | 7 | 5 | 2 | 71.4% | 28.6% |
| Darebin City Council | 9 | 7 | 2 | 77.8% | 22.2% |
| East Gippsland Shire Council | 9 | 6 | 3 | 66.7% | 33.3% |
| Frankston City Council | 9 | 6 | 3 | 66.7% | 33.3% |
| Gannawarra Shire Council | 7 | 6 | 1 | 85.7% | 14.3% |
| Glen Eira City Council | 9 | 6 | 3 | 66.7% | 33.3% |
| Glenelg Shire Council | 7 | 5 | 2 | 71.4% | 28.6% |
| Golden Plains Shire Council | 7 | 5 | 2 | 71.4% | 28.6% |
| Greater Bendigo City Council | 9 | 6 | 3 | 66.7% | 33.3% |
| Greater Dandenong City Council | 11 | 8 | 3 | 72.7% | 27.3% |
| Greater Geelong City Council | 13 | 10 | 3 | 76.9% | 23.1% |
| Greater Shepparton City Council | 7 | 5 | 2 | 71.4% | 28.6% |
| Hepburn Shire Council | 7 | 6 | 1 | 85.7% | 14.3% |
| Hindmarsh Shire Council | 6 | 4 | 2 | 66.7% | 33.3% |
| Hobsons Bay City Council | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57.1% | 42.9% |
| Horsham Rural City Council | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57.1% | 42.9% |
| Hume City Council | 11 | 8 | 3 | 72.7% | 27.3% |
| Indigo Shire Council | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57.1% | 42.9% |
| Kingston City Council | 9 | 6 | 3 | 66.7% | 33.3% |
| Knox City Council | 9 | 6 | 3 | 66.7% | 33.3% |
| Latrobe City Council | 9 | 5 | 4 | 55.6% | 44.4% |
| Loddon Shire Council | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60.0% | 40.0% |
| Macedon Ranges Shire Council | 9 | 7 | 2 | 77.8% | 22.2% |
| Manningham City Council | 9 | 4 | 5 | 44.4% | 55.6% |
| Mansfield Shire Council | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60.0% | 40.0% |
| Maribyrnong City Council | 7 | 5 | 2 | 71.4% | 28.6% |
| Maroondah City Council | 9 | 4 | 5 | 44.4% | 55.6% |
| Melbourne City Council | 11 | 7 | 4 | 63.6% | 36.4% |
| Melton City Council | 7 | 2 | 5 | 28.6% | 71.4% |
| Mildura Rural City Council | 9 | 5 | 4 | 55.6% | 44.4% |
| Mitchell Shire Council | 9 | 7 | 2 | 77.8% | 22.2% |
| Moira Shire Council | 9 | 6 | 3 | 66.7% | 33.3% |
| Monash City Council | 11 | 7 | 4 | 63.6% | 36.4% |
| Moonee Valley City Council | 9 | 4 | 5 | 44.4% | 55.6% |
| Moorabool Shire Council | 7 | 6 | 1 | 85.7% | 14.3% |
| Moreland City Council | 11 | 5 | 6 | 45.5% | 54.5% |
| Mornington Peninsula Shire Council | 11 | 7 | 4 | 63.6% | 36.4% |
| Mount Alexander Shire Council | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57.1% | 42.9% |
| Moyne Shire Council | 7 | 6 | 1 | 85.7% | 14.3% |
| Murrindindi Shire Council | 7 | 5 | 2 | 71.4% | 28.6% |
| Nillumbik Shire Council | 7 | 3 | 4 | 42.9% | 57.1% |
| Northern Grampians Shire Council | 7 | 5 | 2 | 71.4% | 28.6% |
| Port Phillip City Council | 7 | 2 | 5 | 28.6% | 71.4% |
| Pyrenees Shire Council | 5 | 4 | 1 | 80.0% | 20.0% |
| Borough of Queenscliffe | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40.0% | 60.0% |
| South Gippsland Shire Council | 9 | 6 | 3 | 66.7% | 33.3% |
| Southern Grampians Shire Council | 7 | 5 | 2 | 71.4% | 28.6% |
| Stonnington City Council | 9 | 5 | 4 | 55.6% | 44.4% |
| Strathbogie Shire Council | 7 | 5 | 2 | 71.4% | 28.6% |
| Surf Coast Shire Council | 9 | 3 | 6 | 33.3% | 66.7% |
| Swan Hill Rural City Council | 7 | 6 | 1 | 85.7% | 14.3% |
| Towong Shire Council | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60.0% | 40.0% |
| Wangaratta Rural City Council | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Warrnambool City Council | 7 | 5 | 2 | 71.4% | 28.6% |
| Wellington Shire Council | 9 | 7 | 2 | 77.8% | 22.2% |
| West Wimmera Shire Council | 5 | 4 | 1 | 80.0% | 20.0% |
| Whitehorse City Council | 10 | 6 | 4 | 60.0% | 40.0% |
| Whittlesea City Council | 11 | 8 | 3 | 72.7% | 27.3% |
| Wodonga City Council | 7 | 5 | 2 | 71.4% | 28.6% |
| Wyndham City Council | 11 | 7 | 4 | 63.6% | 36.4% |
| Yarra City Council | 9 | 6 | 3 | 66.7% | 33.3% |
| Yarra Ranges Shire Council | 9 | 7 | 2 | 77.8% | 22.2% |
| Yarriambiack Shire Council | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57.1% | 42.9% |
| 79 | 624 | 405 | 219 | 64.9% | 35.1% |