The Victorian Local Governance Association has lodged its submission to the Victorian Local Government Electoral Review, seeking word on the state of some much-needed reforms.

The 2012 local government elections raised a number of questions about the state of local democracy in Victoria which implicate the local electoral system, VLGA says.

The group has actively promoted the Victorian Government's review of the electoral system by the appointed Local Government Electoral Review Panel.

It has now made its formal submission on the Panel's two Final Reports, supporting a majority of the Panel's recommendations so far.

“We recognise that the Panel's intent has been to strengthen the consistency and coherence of the local electoral system, but we also note the considerable complexity of the Panel's task,” VLGA president Sebastian Klein says.

Many of the recommendations highlight tensions in the attempt to align local electoral processes with those at State and Federal levels.

The VLGA's submission acknowledges that local government is inherently different from other levels, but says change is possible through some simple thinking, based on research and consultation, plus the expertise and experiences of members.

The VLAG responded to all 55 of the Panel's recommendations, but dealt in depth with seven key issues:

1. The local government franchise
2. Councillor numbers and representation
3. Mixed wards
4. Voting methods
5. Candidate requirements
6. Donations
7. The role of the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC)

A full copy of the submission is available in PDF form, here.