Melton council is setting the standard across the state for gender diversity in local government.
The council topped a state government list of female-to-male ratios, released last week. Five of its seven councillors are women.
Melton mayor Kathy Majdlik said keeping residents well informed about ways they could serve was a key to gender diversity on council.
“It’s wonderful for the city of Melton to be recognised in this way,” she said.
“Melton is a progressive community that encourages and values diversity and inclusion, and this has been reflected in the number of women standing at council elections.
“I believe it’s important to have a good mix of skills and abilities, ideas and attitudes, and that equal gender representation is vitally important,” Cr Majdlik said.
“Melton council facilitates two meetings for residents interested in standing for council. The community and candidate information sessions are run by the Municipal Association of Victoria.
“For parents of young children interested in standing for council, there are childcare supports available for councillors … I believe Melton council pioneered this childcare provision in Victoria.”
Local Government Minister Natalie Hutchins said it was high time councils became more representative.
“The Labor government is urging women across Victoria to consider standing as candidates this October to ensure our councils better reflect our communities,” she said.
“It’s unacceptable that in 2016 women still make up only about a third of all councillors and still don’t reach the senior management levels in their organisations.
“Improving the representation of women at the senior level in both public and private sectors is a key priority for the Labor government and one we work tirelessly to achieve.”
The list revealed that only 34.9 per cent of all Victorian councillors were women. While 60.81 per cent of all workers in local government were women, only 16.5 per cent were chief executive officers.
Moorabool eastern ward councillor Tonia Dudzik was one of two females on the seven councils at the bottom end of the female-to- male scale.
The state government allocated $50,000 this year towards a Go Women Local Government project aimed at increasing the number of female candidates across the state.
The additional funding will build on past support for encouraging women from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to consider nominating as candidates.
