Officer split looms

By Danielle Galvin
THE Officer and Beaconsfield townships have no “natural connection” to the hills – but the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) has recommended Officer be split between the Ranges and Central wards.
Last Thursday night, the VEC heard from eight speakers who had responded to the Preliminary Electoral Representation Review released in January.
Former Cardinia Shire mayor Kate Lempriere was the first speaker at the meeting.
While she did not support the VEC’s recommendation, Ms Lempriere agreed that nine councillors might better serve the shire than the current seven.
“I’ve thought about this very seriously. I think with the growth in the area I’m inclined to go with nine councillors,” she said.
In her submission, Ms Lempriere called on the VEC to consider the geographical diversity in the Shire.
“Without knowledgeable government direction from the VEC electoral representation review, Cardinia Shire’s green wedge, ageing Hills infrastructure and rural communities have a very good chance of falling between the cracks with little or minimal council representation,” she said.
Cockatoo representative Owen Deppeler said he came from a faming family and a rural background. He said that 90 per cent of the shire was rural and he opposed Officer becoming part of the Ranges Ward.
“I don’t support the unsubdivided model,” he said.
“People in rural areas won’t vote because they won’t see the point.”
Mr Deppeler said the biggest challenges facing hills residents were the lack of transport and the inability to access “key people.”
“Two thirds of people here in the shire represent rural areas and they should be considered on a rural basis,” he said.
Former councillor and mayor Garry Runge spoke at the meeting.
“The difficulty I have with your proposals lies especially with Beaconsfield,” he said.
“It is the entry point to the Shire from Casey and the growth corridor.”
In his submission, the Beaconsfield resident and shop owner said the hills had “different community expectations to those in the rural area” and said it was short sighted to annex Beaconsfield from the growth corridor.
“Amazingly the VEC and current councillors recommend splitting Beaconsfield from the growth corridor and annexing it to the Ranges Ward,” he said.
“Beaconsfield, Officer, Lakeside and Pakenham are all part of the growth corridor and should remain together.”
Robin Hocking from Officer did not support splitting the Officer township between wards.
“We need good representation from the start,” he said.
“Not by dividing the commercial area.”
Cardinia Shire Council’s Manager of Governance Doug Evans spoke on behalf of the council and it’s CEO Garry McQuillan.
Under the council’s response to the report, Beaconsfield would be included in Ranges Ward and both Port and Bunyip would be retained as single-member wards.