| Election Name: | 2021 South Gippsland Shire Council election |
| Country: | Victoria |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 2016 Victorian local elections |
| Previous Year: | 2016 |
| Next Year: | 2024 |
| Election Date: | 5-29 October 2021 |
| Turnout: | 81.51% |
| Image1: | IND |
| Party1: | Independent politician |
| Popular Vote1: | 20,008 |
| Percentage1: | 92.95% |
| Last Election1: | 8 seats |
| Seats Before1: | 7 |
| Seats1: | 9 |
| Seat Change1: | 2 |
| Party2: | Australian Greens Victoria |
| Popular Vote2: | 1,518 |
| Percentage2: | 7.05% |
| Last Election2: | 0 seats |
| Seats Before2: | 1 |
| Seats2: | 0 |
| Seat Change2: | 1 |
| Image3: | IND |
| Party3: | Ind. Liberal |
| Popular Vote3: | 1,277 |
| Percentage3: | 5.93% |
| Last Election3: | 1 seat |
| Seats Before3: | 0 |
| Seats3: | 1 |
| Seat Change3: | 1 |
The 2021 South Gippsland Shire Council election was held in October 2021 to elect nine councillors for South Gippsland Shire, a local government area (LGA) in Victoria, Australia.[1]
This was the first election for the council since it was dismissed by the sacked by the state government in June 2019, which resulted in its scheduled 2020 election being delayed by a year. The only elected candidate who had previously served on the council was Mohya Davies, who was elected in 2012 but defeated in 2016.[2]
The Victorian Greens endorsed two candidates, while Liberal Party member Nathan Herseyn also contested the election.[3] The local Labor Party branch expressed interest, but did not end up endorsing any candidates.[4]
Following the 2016 election and up until the council was dismissed, five different councillors resigned.
Maxine Kiel (Tarwin Valley Ward) tendered her resignation on 26 September 2018, with Rosemary Cousin − who had joined the Greens that month after contesting as an independent in 2016 − elected as her replacement following a countback.[5]
Liberal Party member Meg Edwards (Tarwin Valley Ward) resigned on 30 October, being replaced by independent James Fawcett the following month.
On 28 February 2019, both Fawcett and fellow councillor Lorraine Brunt (Strzelecki Ward) resigned. Brunt was replaced by Frank Hirst, however no candidate was initially declared elected as Fawcett's replacement at a 1 April countback, with Steve Finlay was elected a week later in a second countback.[6]
Councillor Jeremy Rich (Coastal-Promontory Ward) resigned on 22 April after being charged with "cultivating and trafficking a commercial quantity of cannabis". He was replaced by United Australia Party member Matthew Sherry.[7]
On 18 June 2019, the council was officially dismissed and three administrators appointed in place of elected councillors. A report into the council found there was "aggressive" councillor behaviour and suggested a "necessary" two-year break. As a result, South Gippsland was one of three LGAs without an election in October 2020.[8] [9]
In September 2021, campaigning for the election began. Some, including dismissed councillor James Fawcett and Gippsland South MP Danny O'Brien, called for former councillors not to contest.[10]
Former mayor and councillor Don Hill, who decided to contest the election, was accused of using his newspaper, South Gippsland Voices, to promote his campaign.[11]
The election was conducted entirely by post and voting began on 5 October. After a large proportion of ballot papers did not arrive by the 22 October deadline, the Victorian Electoral Commission extended the voting deadline by one week.[12]
| Votes | % | Swing | Seats | Change | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | 18,731 | 87.02 | 8 | |||||
| Greens | 1,518 | 7.05 | 0 | |||||
| Independent Liberal | 1,518 | 5.93 | 1 | |||||
| Formal votes | 21,526 | 96.47 | ||||||
| Informal votes | 788 | 3.53 | ||||||
| Total | 22,314 | 100.0 | ||||||
| Registered voters / turnout | 27,376 | 81.51 | ||||||
| Ward | 2016 election | Council before dismissal | 2021 election | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Councillor | Party | Councillor | Party | Councillor | Party | |||||||
| Coastal-Promontory | Alysson Skinner | Independent | Alysson Skinner | Independent | Scott Rae | Independent | ||||||
| Ray Argento | Independent | Ray Argento | Independent | Mohya Davies | Independent | |||||||
| Jeremy Rich | Independent | Matthew Sherry | United Australia | Sarah Gilligan | Independent | |||||||
| Strzelecki | Lorraine Brunt | Independent | Frank Hirst | Independent | Jenni Keerie | Independent | ||||||
| Andrew McEwen | Independent | Andrew McEwen | Independent | Mick Felton | Independent | |||||||
| Aaron Brown | Independent | Aaron Brown | Independent | Nathan Hersey | Ind. Liberal | |||||||
| Tarwin Valley | Meg Edwards | Ind. Liberal | Steve Finlay | Independent | John Schelling | Independent | ||||||
| Don Hill | Independent | Don Hill | Independent | Clare Williams | Independent | |||||||
| Maxine Kiel | Independent | Rosemary Cousin | Greens | Adrian Darakai | Independent | |||||||