When quizzed about the future of Kyabram within the local government framework, given the impending changes to boundaries under the 2023 Victorian Electoral Commission review of Victorian council structures, former Kyabram community leader Doug Crow said he was concerned about the apathetic nature of Kyabram’s contribution to local government debate.
Mr Crow, who was recruited back into local government during the amalgamation of councils in 1994, said Kyabram’s location between two major centres meant the town had always been required to fight hard to achieve its goals and become recognised as a district leader of regional influence.
He said that level of effort would need to continue for the town to thrive in the future.
While describing the current representatives of the Kyabram Deakin Ward as “all fine people’’, he said the town would be much better off to have someone who lived ”within’’ and had a vested interest in the town’s development.
Mr Crow was concerned that given the potential for Campaspe to become an unsubdivided shire, Kyabram could lose its “seat at the table’’.
“I get a little tired of people whinging and groaning about Kyabram not being looked after,” he said.
“It is up to Kyabram to demand fairness and equity, that is what the people from Toolleen, Lockington, Rushworth and Colbinabbin did when I was a commissioner.
“It seems unbelievable that a town with 8000 people is without a Kyabram person on council. John Zobec could probably claim quasi Kyabram status, but Cr (Daniel) Mackrell runs a business and lives in Echuca and Cr (Colleen) Gates lives outside of Kyabram.
“They are all fine people, but how invested are they in Kyabram’s future?
“Kyabram will get what it deserves.”
Mr Crow harked back to a period during the 1970s and 1980s when he said the Kyabram council was thriving and, when looking at the names that were on council, it was not surprising.
“Kyabram progressed dramatically when it seceded from Rodney Shire and became a borough, then a town. People stood up and fought as a town, representation was strong and everyone had the town as their top priority,” he said.
Mr Crow, a former Ky Health board chair and director for almost a decade, was involved during a period of significant developments in infrastructure and service delivery.
He warned that if Kyabram chose to sit back and wait it could lose its representation on council.
Thirty-nine councils are being reviewed during the Victorian Electoral Commission 2023-24 process by an independent electoral representation advisory panel.
Campaspe Shire Council was established in 1994 with the amalgamation of the City of Echuca, Town of Kyabram, Shire of Rochester, Shire of Waranga and Shire of Deakin.
Doug Crow and fellow commissioners Jeanette Powell and Victor Hamit were appointed by the Victorian Government to oversee the newly created municipality.
In March 1997, Campaspe returned to a democratically elected council, with seven councillors to represent the interests of residents in both urban and rural areas.
At that point there were seven councillors and six wards. Kyabram ward had one representative — the mayor, Mary Bowman — while Echuca was the only ward with two representatives.
The remaining four wards — Southern, Central, Western and Eastern — had one representative apiece.
In 2008 the number of councillors was increased to nine and Kyabram Deakin Ward was created — Carol Howell, Neil Pankhurst and Neil Repacholi the representatives.
Echuca also had three representatives on council, while one councillor came from the Western, newly created Rochester and Waranga wards.
Campaspe, Strathbogie, Gannawarra and Buloke were all part of the first round of reviews.
The first option for Buloke was seven councillors in an unsubdivided shire, which was also the first of three options for Gannawarra and Strathbogie councils.
Strathbogie’s 11,455 constituents are currently represented by seven councillors from five wards — two with two councillors each and three wards with one councillor.
Buloke has three wards with seven councillors — one ward represented by three council members and two wards have two apiece.
In Gannawarra there are currently four wards with seven councillors to serve the 10,683 constituents. One ward has three councillors, another two and the remaining two wards have one councillor apiece.
