2002 Victorian local elections

2002 Victorian local elections

← 2001 16 March 2002 2003 →
Registered	560,000+
First party Second party Third party   IND Leader None N/A N/A Party Independents Labor Liberal Last election 131[a] 22[a] 3[a] Seats before 129 23 3 Seats won 124 19 5 Seat change 5 4 2 Popular vote 443,889 56,771 20,804 Percentage 81.76% 10.20% 3.74%   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   SOC SA Leader No leader No leader No leader Party Greens Socialist Socialist Alliance Last election 0[a] 0 Did not exist Seats before 1 0 0 Seats won 6 0 0 Seat change 5 Popular vote 17,951 988 714 Percentage 3.22% 0.18% 0.13%

The 2002 Victorian local elections were held on 16 March 2002 to elect the councils of 17 of the 78 local government areas in Victoria, Australia.^[1]

Until 2008, local elections in Victoria were conducted periodically, meaning 53 councils were not up for election in 2002.^[2] The City of Melbourne was initially scheduled to hold its election in 2002, but it was instead brought forward to 22 July 2001 following a change to its electoral structure.^[3]

All elections were conducted by the Victorian Electoral Commission with the exception of the City of Moreland, which conducted its own election.^[4]

27 candidates were elected unopposed across the state, 24 of which were independents.^[1]

Party			Votes	%	Swing	Seats	Change
	Independents		455,160	81.76		124	7
	Labor		56,771	10.20		19	4
	Liberal		20,804	3.74		5	2
	Greens		17,951	3.22		6	6
	Independent Labor		4,328	0.77		1	1
	Socialist		988	0.18	+0.18	0
	Socialist Alliance		714	0.13	+0.13	0
Total			556,725	100.0		155
Informal votes
Turnout

Party		Councils
		Number	Change
	Independent	14	1
	No overall control	1	1
	Labor	2

Labor retained control of the City of Darebin and gained control of the City of Moreland, but lost control of the City of Yarra as a result of Greens, Independent Labor and independent gains.^[1]

In addition to retaining two wards in Boroondara, the Liberal Party gained two seats in Greater Bendigo − Greg Williams (Eppalock) and Kevin Gibbins (Whipstick).^[5][6] A fifth Liberal councillor (Geoff White in Glenelg) was re-elected unopposed.^[7]

Following the elections, the amount of LGAs expanded from 78 to 79 when the Shire of Delatite was split into the Rural City of Benalla and the Shire of Mansfield.^[8]