# 2016 Victorian local elections

The 2016 Victorian local elections were held on 22 October 2016 to elect the councils of the 79 local government areas in Victoria, Australia.
The elections saw the largest-ever amount of Greens councillors elected, with the party increasing their local government representatives from 17 to 29. The Labor Party and Liberal Party did not endorse any candidates.

## Party changes before elections

A number of councillors joined or left parties before the 2016 elections.
| Council | Ward | Councillor | Former party | New party | Date |
| Campaspe | Kyabram | Robert Danieli | Independent | Katter's Australian | November/December 2012 |
| Darebin | Cazaly | Vince Fontana | Labor | Independent | 6 December 2012 |
| Darebin | Cazaly | Vince Fontana | Independent | Mutual | 30 January 2014 |
| Darebin | Cazaly | Julie Williams | Independent | Mutual | 30 January 2014 |
| Glen Eira | Rosstown | Neil Pilling | Greens | Independent | 20 May 2014 |
| Darebin | La Trobe | Gaetano Greco | Labor | Independent | Post-May 2014 |
| Darebin | Cazaly | Vince Fontana | Mutual | Independent | 2014 |
| Darebin | Cazaly | Julie Williams | Mutual | Independent | 2014 |
| Moreland | North-West | John Kavanagh | Democratic Labour | Independent | 2014 |
| Moonee Valley | Myrnong | Cam Nation | Independent Liberal | No East West Link | 15 September 2014 |
| Moyne | Unsubdivided | James Purcell | Independent | Vote 1 Local Jobs | October 2014 |
| Greater Bendigo | Lockwood | Elise Chapman | Independent | Country Alliance | 15 October 2014 |
| Greater Geelong | Austin | John Irvine | Independent | Country Alliance | 16 October 2014 |
| Port Phillip | Albert Park | Amanda Stevens | Labor | Independent Labor | 26 February 2015 |
| Moyne | Unsubdivided | Jim Doukas | Independent | Country Alliance | Mid-2015 |
| Moonee Valley | Myrnong | Cam Nation | No East West Link | Independent | 2015 |
| Greater Bendigo | Lockwood | Elise Chapman | Country Alliance | Independent | 2015 |
| Greater Geelong | Austin | John Irvine | Country Alliance | Independent | 2015 |
| Greater Bendigo | Lockwood | Elise Chapman | Independent | One Nation | 8 January 2016 |
| Yarra | Langridge | Stephen Jolly | Socialist | The Socialists | 22 February 2016 |
| Moonee Valley | Rose Hill | John Sipek | Labor | Independent | Mid-2016 |
| Darebin | Cazaly | Julie Williams | Independent | Labor | Pre-October 2016 |

## Results

| Party | Party | Votes | Seats | Change |
| Independents | Independents | | | |
| Labor | Labor | | | |
| Liberal | Liberal | | | |
| Burwood Liberals | Burwood Liberals | | | |
| Greens | Greens | | 29 | 11 |
| Independent National | Independent National | | | |
| Team Doyle | Team Doyle | 27,116 | 3 | |
| Together Melbourne | Together Melbourne | 6,578 | 1 | |
| Phil Cleary Means Business | Phil Cleary Means Business | 5,667 | 1 | |
| Stephen Mayne T.I.A.E. | Stephen Mayne T.I.A.E. | 3,666 | 0 | |
| Team Morgan - A City That Works | Team Morgan - A City That Works | 3,557 | 1 | |
| Strengthening Melbourne | Strengthening Melbourne | 1,905 | 0 | |
| Listening To Locals | Listening To Locals | 1,718 | 0 | |
| An Indigenous Voice On Council | An Indigenous Voice On Council | 1,534 | 1 | 1 |
| Serving Melbourne With Integrity | Serving Melbourne With Integrity | 1,519 | 0 | |
| The Light On The Hill Team | The Light On The Hill Team | 960 | 0 | |
| The Heritage Agenda | The Heritage Agenda | 816 | 0 | |
| Melburnian Voice | Melburnian Voice | 808 | 0 | |
| Science | Science | 82 | 0 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats | | 1 | 1 |
| The Socialists | The Socialists | | 1 | 1 |
| Rise Up Australia | Rise Up Australia | | 1 | |
| Socialist Alliance | Socialist Alliance | | 1 | |
| Animal Justice | Animal Justice | | 0 | |
| Independent Labor | Independent Labor | | | |

## Aftermath

On 8 November, Melbourne councillor-elect Brooke Wandin (An Indigenous Voice On Council) stood down from her position amid an investigation by the Local Government Investigations and Compliance Inspectorate into her eligibility. Wandin and former councillor Richard Foster were later charged with electoral fraud, with prosecutors alleging Wandin did not live at the Kensington address she had nominated when registering for election. Both parties plead guilty to charges of electoral fraud; Foster received a 12-month good behaviour bond, while Wandin was placed onto a diversion program. Nic Frances Gilley was declared elected in Wandin's place.
Additionally in Melbourne, Phil Cleary Means Business councillor Michael Caiafa lost his seat in March 2017 after it was determined he was not duly elected. Team Doyle's Susan Riley was declared elected in his place.
In April 2017, hundreds of people reported receiving infringement notices for allegedly having not voted, despite claiming that they had.

## By-elections and countbacks

The Victorian Electoral Commission held a number of by-elections and countbacks to fill vacancies on councils after the 2016 elections up until the 2020 elections.
Casey City Council was sacked on 18 February 2020 before two countbacks could occur.

### By-elections

| Council | Ward | Before | Before | Before | Change | Change | Result after preference distribution | Result after preference distribution | Result after preference distribution | Result after preference distribution | Result after preference distribution |
| Council | Ward | Councillor | Party | Party | Cause | Date | Date | Party | Party | Candidate | % |
| Northern Grampians | South West | Sharon Telford | | Independent | Resignation | 5 October 2017 | 17 February 2018 | | Independent | Stephen Gardner | 52.17 |
| Northern Grampians | South West | Sharon Telford | | Independent | Resignation | 5 October 2017 | 17 February 2018 | | Independent | Christine Fitzgerald | 47.83 |
| Pyrenees | Beaufort | Michael O'Connor | | Independent | Death | 15 May 2018 | 17 August 2018 | | Independent | Damian Ferrari | 51.16 |
| Pyrenees | Beaufort | Michael O'Connor | | Independent | Death | 15 May 2018 | 17 August 2018 | | Independent | Barbara Blamey | 32.56 |
| Knox | Collier | Jackson Taylor | | Labor | Elected to Victorian Parliament | 6 December 2018 | 30 March 2019 | | Independent | Marcia Timmers-Leitch | 53.04 |
| Knox | Collier | Jackson Taylor | | Labor | Elected to Victorian Parliament | 6 December 2018 | 30 March 2019 | | Independent | Robert Williams | 28.87 |
| Hepburn | Coliban | Sebastian Klein | | Independent | Resignation | 18 December 2018 | 5 April 2019 | | Ind. Labor | Licia Kokocinski | 58.82 |
| Hepburn | Coliban | Sebastian Klein | | Independent | Resignation | 18 December 2018 | 5 April 2019 | | Independent | John McLaren | 41.18 |
| Swan Hill | Murray-Mallee | Gary Norton | | Independent | Resignation | 2 January 2019 | 29 March 2019 | | Independent | Nicole McKay | 63.61 |
| Swan Hill | Murray-Mallee | Gary Norton | | Independent | Resignation | 2 January 2019 | 29 March 2019 | | Independent | Allen Ridgeway | 36.39 |
| Swan Hill | Robinvale | John Katis | | Independent | Resignation | 14 January 2019 | 29 March 2019 | | Ind. National | Jade Benham | N/A |
| Swan Hill | Robinvale | John Katis | | Independent | Resignation | 14 January 2019 | 29 March 2019 | | Elected unopposed | Elected unopposed | Elected unopposed |
| Surf Coast | Anglesea | Libby Coker | | Labor | Election to Australian Parliament | 15 June 2019 | 30 August 2019 | | Independent | Tony Revell | 62.24 |
| Surf Coast | Anglesea | Libby Coker | | Labor | Election to Australian Parliament | 15 June 2019 | 30 August 2019 | | Independent | Harry Rosson | 37.76 |
| Moorabool | Woodlands | Pat Toohey | | Independent | Death | 19 September 2019 | 14 December 2019 | | Independent | Lawry Borgelt | 50.10 |
| Moorabool | Woodlands | Pat Toohey | | Independent | Death | 19 September 2019 | 14 December 2019 | | Independent | Ally Giofches | 36.88 |
| Strathbogie | Honeysuckle Creek | Kate Stothers | | Independent | Resignation | 24 December 2019 | 21 March 2020 | | Independent | Chris Raeburn | 53.29 |
| Strathbogie | Honeysuckle Creek | Kate Stothers | | Independent | Resignation | 24 December 2019 | 21 March 2020 | | Independent | Tom Maher | 21.71 |
| Corangamite | Central | Wayne Oakes | | Independent | Death | 19 April 2020 | 27 June 2020 | | Independent | Geraldine Conheadyn | 57.85 |
| Corangamite | Central | Wayne Oakes | | Independent | Death | 19 April 2020 | 27 June 2020 | | Independent | Michael Emerson | 42.15 |

### Countbacks

| Council | Ward | Before | Before | Before | Change | Change | After | After | After | After |
| Council | Ward | Councillor | Party | Party | Cause | Date | Date | Councillor | Party | Party |
| Queenscliffe | Unsubdivided | Helene Cameron | | Independent | Resignation | 2 November 2016 | 21 November 2016 | Bob Merriman | | Independent |
| Melbourne | Unsubdivided | Brooke Wandin | | Indigenous Voice On Council | Not eligible to stand | 8 November 2016 | 14 March 2017 | Nic Frances Gilley | | Indigenous Voice On Council |
| East Gippsland | Unsubdivided | Linette Treasure | | Independent | Resignation | 16 January 2017 | 14 February 2017 | Jackson Roberts | | Independent |
| Casey | Mayfield | Rex Flannery | | Independent | Resignation | 8 March 2017 | 3 April 2017 | Gary Rowe | | Liberal |
| Melbourne | Unsubdivided | Michael Caiafa | | Phil Cleary Means Business | Not duly elected | 14 March 2017 | 14 March 2017 | Susan Riley | | Team Doyle |
| Whitehorse | Elgar | Tanya Tescher | | Burwood Liberals | Resignation | 3 April 2017 | 9 May 2017 | Blair Barker | | Burwood Liberals |
| Whittlesea | North | John Butler | | Liberal | Death | 6 September 2017 | 4 October 2017 | Tom Joseph | | Independent |
| Wangaratta | City | Ruth Amer | | Independent | Death | 5 October 2017 | 13 November 2017 | Ashlee Fitzpatrick | | Independent |
| Wellington | Northern | Keith Mills | | Independent | Resignation | 23 October 2017 | 15 November 2017 | Carmel Ripper | | Independent |
| Mount Alexander | Castlemaine | Tony Bell | | Independent | Resignation | 9 October 2017 | 22 November 2017 | Dave Petrusma | | Independent |
| Moreland | South | Samantha Ratnam | | Greens | Elected to Victorian Parliament | 11 October 2017 | 22 November 2017 | Jess Dorney | | Greens |
| Ararat | Unsubdivided | Paul Hooper | | Independent | Resignation | 1 November 2017 | 29 November 2017 | Bill Braithwaite | | Independent |
| Melbourne | Unsubdivided | Tessa Sullivan | | Team Doyle | Resignation | 15 December 2017 | 15 January 2018 | Beverley Pinder-Mortimer | | Team Doyle |
| Mount Alexander | Castlemaine | Robin Taylor | | Independent | Resignation | 13 February 2018 | 7 March 2018 | Max Lesser | | Independent |
| Ararat | Unsubdivided | Glenda McLean | | Independent | Resignation | 20 April 2018 | 21 May 2018 | Fay Hull | | Independent |
| Ararat | Unsubdivided | Darren Ford | | Independent | Resignation | 9 May 2018 | 6 June 2018 | Frank Deutsch | | Independent |
| Maroondah | Wyreena | Michael Macdonald | | Independent | Resignation | 25 June 2018 | 16 July 2018 | Tasa Damante | | Liberal |
| Pyrenees | Beaufort | Darren Ford | | Independent | Resignation | 9 May 2018 | 6 June 2018 | Frank Deutsch | | Independent |
| Colac Otway | Unsubdivided | Terry Woodcroft | | Independent | Resignation | 6 August 2018 | 27 August 2018 | Brian Crook | | Independent |
| South Gippsland | Tarwin Valley | Maxine Kiel | | Independent | Resignation | 26 September 2018 | 22 October 2018 | Rosemary Cousin | | Greens |
| Greater Bendigo | Whipstick | Julie Hoskin | | Independent | Resignation | 21 September 2018 | 23 October 2018 | Malcolm Pethybridge | | Independent |
| South Gippsland | Tarwin Valley | Meg Edwards | | Liberal | Resignation | 30 October 2018 | 5 November 2018 | James Fawcett | | Independent |
| Mildura | Unsubdivided | Max Thorburn | | Independent | Death | 18 October 2018 | 13 November 2018 | Gavin Sedgmen | | Independent Liberal |
| Dandenong | Paperbark | Meng Heang Tak | | Labor | Elected to Victorian Parliament | 27 November 2018 | 8 January 2019 | Sophie Tan | | Labor |
| Corangamite | Central | Bev McArthur | | Liberal | Elected to Victorian Parliament | 6 December 2018 | 18 December 2018 | Wayne Oakes | | Independent |
| Mildura | Unsubdivided | Ali Cupper | | Independent | Elected to Victorian Parliament | 7 December 2018 | 15 January 2019 | Helen Healy | | Independent |
| Maribyrnong | Stony Creek | Catherine Cumming | | Justice | Elected to Victorian Parliament | 11 December 2018 | 21 January 2019 | Megan Bridger-Darling | | Labor |
| Glen Eira | Tucker | Nina Taylor | | Labor | Elected to Victorian Parliament | 12 December 2018 | 9 January 2019 | Anne-Marie Cade | | Independent |
| Wodonga | Unsubdivided | Tim Quilty | | Liberal Democrats | Elected to Victorian Parliament | 12 December 2018 | 14 January 2019 | Brian Mitchell | | Independent |
| South Gippsland | Strzelecki | Lorraine Brunt | | Independent | Resignation | 28 February 2019 | 1 April 2019 | Frank Hirst | | Independent |
| South Gippsland | Tarwin Valley | James Fawcett | | Independent | Resignation | 28 February 2019 | 1 April 2019 | No candidate declared elected |
| South Gippsland | Tarwin Valley | N/A | | N/A | No candidate declared elected | 3 April 2019 | 8 April 2019 | Steve Finlay | | Independent |
| Yarra | Nicholls | Mike McEvoy | | Greens | Resignation | 3 April 2019 | 8 May 2019 | Bridgid O'Brien | | Victorian Socialists |
| South Gippsland | Coastal-Promontory | Jeremy Rich | | Independent | Resignation after drug charges | 22 April 2019 | 27 May 2019 | Matthew Sherry | | United Australia |
| Melton | Coburn | Melissa De Santis | | Independent | Resignation | 9 May 2019 | 12 June 2019 | Yvonne Sebire | | Independent |
| Surf Coast | Winchelsea | Carol McGregor | | Independent | Resignation | 3 June 2019 | 2 July 2019 | James McIntyre | | Independent |
| Buloke | Lower Avoca | John Shaw | | Independent | Resignation | 13 August 2019 | 17 September 2019 | Bronwyn Simpson | | Independent |
| Greater Bendigo | Whipstick | Yvonne Wrigglesworth | | Independent | Resignation | 12 September 2019 | 8 October 2019 | Susie Hawke | | Independent |
| Greater Dandenong | Paperback | Roz Blades | | Labor | Resignation | 12 October 2019 | 11 November 2019 | Peter Brown | | Independent |
| Queenscliffe | Unsubdivided | Tony Francis | | Independent | Resignation | 7 November 2019 | 2 December 2019 | Robert Minty | | Independent |
| Strathbogie | Lake Nagambie | Debra Bower | | Independent | Resignation | 17 December 2019 | 20 January 2020 | Robert Gardner | | Independent |
| Gannawarra | Patchell | Mark Arians | | Independent | Resignation | 3 February 2020 | 14 February 2020 | Jenny Fawcett | | Independent |
| Gannawarra | Yarran | Sonia Wright | | Independent | Resignation | 3 February 2020 | 2 March 2020 | Andrew Gibbs | | Independent |
| Warrnambool | Unsubdivided | Peter Hulin | | Independent | Resignation | 12 February 2020 | 11 March 2020 | Peter Sycopoulis | | Liberal |
| Casey | Springfield | Rex Flannery | | Independent | Resignation | 14 February 2020 | Council sacked before countback |
| Casey | Edrington | Timothy Jackson | | Independent Labor | Resignation | 14 February 2020 | Council sacked before countback |
| Brimbank | Grasslands | Lucinda Congreve | | Independent | Resignation | 1 March 2020 | 30 March 2020 | Janev Aziz | | Independent |
| Ararat | Unsubdivided | David Pettman | | Independent | Resignation | 3 April 2020 | 7 May 2020 | Bernadine Atkinson | | Independent |