Outrage from tiny town results in electoral commission backflip
Kaniva residents were facing a long drive to vote before the decision was reversed. (Supplied: Bale Farming)
In short:
The VEC has deemed the Kaniva Senior Citizens Centre as an appropriate venue for a polling booth after telling residents they would have to travel to cast their ballots.
The commission changed course after residents complained about the 80km round-trip they would have to take.
A resident says it is "almost unbelievable" that a decision was made in the town's favour.
Kaniva will have a polling booth on election day after the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) reversed a decision that would have left residents facing an 80-kilometre round-trip to vote.
The initial decision decision drew criticism from residents of the town of 900, including Mayor Helen Hobbs and Lowan MP Emma Kealy, who would have had to drive to Nhill to cast their ballots.
Victorian Electoral Commissioner Sven Bluemmel said he was pleased to be able to provide a booth at the town's Senior Citizens Centre.
"We had always wanted to have a voting centre in Kaniva," he said.
"We had tried very hard to get that done, for whatever reason that hadn't worked out until today."
Kaniva ranked 12th for votes cast among Lowan’s voting centres at the 2022 election.
The Uniting Church hall was ruled out but has been used for polling in the past. (Supplied: Helen Hobbs)
Change of plans
Kaniva normally hosts a voting booth in the town's Uniting Church Hall, which also operates as an op shop.
The volunteers who run the shop said it would be too hard to dismantle and reassemble.
The ABC understands the commission was told at least three times the venue was not available and that alternative venues were offered, including other church halls, the Senior Citizens Centre and the shire hall.
The VEC deemed them to be inappropriate, but Mr Bluemmel said that had changed.
"Once we actually had that discussion with the council today, we were able to land on that senior citizens' club, which we'll be able to operationalise with no problems," he said.
Cr Hobbs said she was initially told the centre was not necessary and that the decision not to host a voting centre was part of wider operational plans, which left her "absolutely shocked, gobsmacked, flabbergasted".
"We're just rapt that this decision has been reversed.. it could not be a better outcome," she said.
"We're talking about 600 voters out of that 1,100 catchment population, so couldn't be happier."
Resident Fleur Maddern said the VEC's original decision was confusing and "rude".
Fleur Maddern can hardly believe the ddecision was reversed. (Supplied: Fleur Maddern)
She urged residents to complain to the VEC and credited locals who picked up the phone and sent emails.
"I'm really, really happy that people in this town did what I asked … and put their complaints in the appropriate place," Ms Maddern said.
"No point being complacent, no point complaining amongst ourselves, we actually have to make some noise."
She said the result showed what a community can do when it speaks up.
"It's almost unbelievable that we've made a government department reverse the decision that is actually in our favour," Ms Maddern said.
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