# 2004 Victorian local elections

The 2004 Victorian local elections were held on 26 November 2004 to elect the councils of 22 of the 79 local government areas in Victoria, Australia.
Until 2008, local elections in Victoria were conducted periodically, meaning 54 councils were not up for election in 2004. An additional three LGAs that were scheduled to vote in 2004 also did not have elections.
A shift away from single-member wards in favour of multi-member wards began in 2004, in particular in the Greater Melbourne area.
The election in Yarra saw the first-ever victory for the Socialist Party, with Stephen Jolly elected in Langridge Ward. He was reportedly the first elected socialist councillor in Melbourne "since the Second World War".
In Melbourne, Labor Party members ran on a ticket called 'Active Local Progressive' (ALP), led by Raymond Collins.

## Party changes before elections

A number of councillors joined or left parties before the 2004 elections.
| Council | Ward | Councillor | Former party | Former party | New party | New party | Date |
| Melbourne | Unsubdivided | Kevin Chamberlin | | Labor | | Independent | 7 November 2002 |
| Melbourne | Unsubdivided | Kevin Chamberlin | | Independent | | Kevin Chamberlin For Melbourne | 2004 |

## Results

| Party | Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats | Change |
| | Independents | Independents | 606,598 | 76.92 | 159 | |
| | Labor | Labor | 78,241 | 9.92 | 22 | |
| | Greens | Greens | 21,995 | 2.79 | 6 | 2 |
| | Liberal | Liberal | 21,686 | 2.75 | 9 | |
| | Melbourne Living | Melbourne Living | 18,155 | 2.30 | 3 | |
| | Socialist Alliance | Socialist Alliance | 5,512 | 0.70 | 0 | |
| | Democratic Labour | Democratic Labour | 4,378 | 0.56 | 1 | 1 |
| | Independent Labor | Independent Labor | 4,637 | 0.59 | 1 | |
| | Kevin Chamberlin For Melbourne | Kevin Chamberlin For Melbourne | 3,297 | 0.42 | 0 | |
| | Melbourne Civic Group | Melbourne Civic Group | 3,018 | 0.38 | 1 | |
| | Advance Melbourne | Advance Melbourne | 2,742 | 0.35 | 1 | |
| | Serving Melbourne | Serving Melbourne | 2,335 | 0.30 | 1 | |
| | Residents First - Stop The Rates Ripoff | Residents First - Stop The Rates Ripoff | 2,210 | 0.28 | 0 | |
| | Melbourne First | Melbourne First | 1,454 | 0.18 | 0 | |
| | Active Local Progressive | Active Local Progressive | 1,441 | 0.18 | 0 | |
| | Campaign for a Better City | Campaign for a Better City | 1,375 | 0.17 | 0 | |
| | Socialist Left-Wing Team | Socialist Left-Wing Team | 1,359 | 0.17 | 1 | 1 |
| | Melbourne: Building An Even Better City | Melbourne: Building An Even Better City | 1,261 | 0.16 | 0 | |
| | Melbourne At Work | Melbourne At Work | 904 | 0.12 | 0 | |
| | Melbourne Matters | Melbourne Matters | 860 | 0.11 | 0 | |
| | Sue Chambers Act Local Team | Sue Chambers Act Local Team | 822 | 0.11 | 0 | |
| | Growing Melbourne | Growing Melbourne | 777 | 0.10 | 0 | |
| | Melbourne Arts Fashion Design Innovation | Melbourne Arts Fashion Design Innovation | 777 | 0.10 | 0 | |
| | Transparency And Accountability | Transparency And Accountability | 724 | 0.09 | 0 | |
| | !ST@ND UP 4 MELBOURNE! | !ST@ND UP 4 MELBOURNE! | 555 | 0.07 | 0 | |
| | Strengthen Melbourne | Strengthen Melbourne | 493 | 0.06 | 0 | |
| | Evolving Melbourne | Evolving Melbourne | 394 | 0.05 | 0 | |
| | Save Our Streets | Save Our Streets | 332 | 0.04 | 0 | |
| | Sustainable City | Sustainable City | 231 | 0.03 | 0 | |
| Total | Total | Total | 788,563 | 100.0 | 204 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | | | |

### Council control

| Party | Party | Councils | Councils |
| Party | Party | Number | Change |
| | Independent | 17 | |
| | No overall control | 2 | |
| | Labor | 2 | |
| | Melbourne Living | 1 | |