Nominate as a candidate in the upcoming Council elections.
Candidate information sessions
To understand more about the role of a councillor, the City is hosting three in-person candidate information sessions that will also be recorded and posted online. There are also other in-person and online opportunities run by other organisations.
2024 Council elections and Local Government in Greater Bendigo
Tuesday May 28
Meeting recording Download presentation
The councillor experience
Thursday June 20
Meeting recording Download presentation
Future direction of City of Greater Bendigo
Tuesday August 20
Other information sessions
MAV Stand for Council
Wednesday July 17, 6pm – 9pm. Online, Zoom.
Victorian Electoral Commission Candidate Information Session (Heathcote)
Wednesday September 4, 6pm – 7pm. Barrack Reserve Function Room.
Barrack Street, Heathcote.
Victorian Electoral Commission Candidate Information Session (Bendigo)
Thursday September 5, 6pm – 7pm. Galkangu - Bendigo GovHub.
Level 1, Galk-Galk Djaa Balak Meeting Room 1, 189-229 Lyttleton Terrace, Bendigo.
Ward structure
Greater Bendigo’s ward structure is changing. Instead of there being three wards and three Councillors in each ward, in the October 2024 election, Greater Bendigo will be divided into nine wards and there will be one councillor in each ward.
Download a map of the new ward structure
Check your new ward
More information
The City of Greater Bendigo delivers approximately 68 services to the community, such as rubbish collection, sports facilities, childcare, immunisation, maternal and child health, major events, town planning, theatres, Bendigo Art Gallery, visitor services, parks and gardens, animal pound services, road, drainage and footpath construction, and much more.
The Council has one staff member, the Chief Executive Officer, and at the City of Greater Bendigo the Council is responsible for overseeing a budget valued at more than $200M.
Local Government is not responsible for matters such as hospitals, public transport, public housing, education, major road/highway upgrades, mental health services, state and national parks, and police.
Nine councillors will be elected later this year to form the Council.
Following a review of electoral boundaries by the Victorian Government, the City of Greater Bendigo ward structure will change for the 2024 elections.
Read the Victorian Government’s report on the changed structure (PDF, 2.3MB)
Instead of there being three wards and three councillors in each ward, Greater Bendigo will be divided into nine wards and there will be one councillor in each ward.
To be a candidate, you must be an Australian citizen, over the age of 18, enrolled on the voters’ role for the City of Greater Bendigo and complete mandatory candidate training. You can be a candidate for any ward.
All candidates nominating for election must complete Local Government Victoria Local Government Candidate Training before they are able to nominate. The training is currently being updated and while candidates can complete the training now, they are encouraged to complete it when it is updated by mid-June.
Anyone over the age of 18 and registered on the state electoral role and council-enrolled voters such as ratepayers.
Votes must be in the mail or hand delivered to the election office by 6 pm on Friday October 25, 2024.
Yes. There is a candidate nomination fee of $250.
The $250 nomination fee is refunded to candidates who are declared elected or receive at least four percent (4%) of the total number of formal votes received by all candidates in the election.
If you withdraw as a candidate, the nomination fee is not refunded.
Yes. An independent tribunal is responsible for setting the values of allowances for all Councillors, Deputy Mayors and Mayors across the state.
For the City of Greater Bendigo, a Councillor is paid $39,390, the Deputy Mayor is paid $65,195 and the Mayor is paid $130,390.