Governance & participation

Turnout

Turnout stayed between 73.1% and 77.1% at every general election since 2008; in 2024 it was the 2nd lowest of the ten regional cities.

• 77.1% Enrolled voters who voted2024 general election24,983 of 32,407 enrolled
• 81.0% Median of the other nine regional cities2024 electionsWodonga 3.9 points lower
• 2nd lowest Turnout among the ten regional cities2024 electionsOnly Mildura was lower, at 74.25%
• 73.1%–77.1% Range across five general elections2008–2024Lowest 2012, highest 2024

The VEC calculates council turnout over contested elections only; seven of the other nine regional cities had at least one uncontested ward in 2024.

SourceReport to Parliament: 2024 local government elections · Victorian Electoral Commission · 2024

SourceWodonga City Council — 2024 council election results · Victorian Electoral Commission · 2024

SourceWodonga City Council — 2020 council election results · Victorian Electoral Commission · 2020

Source2016 Local Government Elections Report · Victorian Electoral Commission · 2016

SourceReport on Conduct of the 2012 Local Government Elections · Victorian Electoral Commission · 2012

SourceAnnual Report 2008–09 — 2008 council election statistics · Victorian Electoral Commission · 2008

Informal votes

The share of ballots that could not be counted fell from 8.5% in 2020 to 3.3% in 2024, when each voter's ballot listed two or three candidates instead of 19.

• 3.3% Informal votes: ballots that could not be counted2024 general election822 of 24,983 votes
• 8.5% Informal votes on one citywide ballot2020 general election2,106 of 24,835 votes
• 2–3 Candidates on each voter's ballot2024 general election19 on the one ballot in 2020; 19 across the seven wards in 2024
• 3.2% Median of the other nine regional cities2024 electionsWodonga 0.1 points higher

The VEC's report on the 2024 elections says informal voting fell across Victoria most likely because fewer candidates stood in each election, as more councils moved to single-councillor wards.

SourceReport to Parliament: 2024 local government elections · Victorian Electoral Commission · 2024

SourceWodonga City Council — 2024 council election results · Victorian Electoral Commission · 2024

SourceWodonga City Council — 2020 council election results · Victorian Electoral Commission · 2020

Source2016 Local Government Elections Report · Victorian Electoral Commission · 2016

SourceReport on Conduct of the 2012 Local Government Elections · Victorian Electoral Commission · 2012

SourceAnnual Report 2008–09 — 2008 council election statistics · Victorian Electoral Commission · 2008

Seven wards

Wodonga first elected its councillors from seven single-councillor wards in 2024, and every ward's roll was within 4.2% of the average.

• 7 Single-councillor wardsSince the 2024 electionOne citywide ballot for all seven seats at every election from 2008 to 2020
• 4,630 Average enrolled voters per ward2024 general election32,407 enrolled across seven wards
• -4.2% Largest difference from the average: Baranduda Range2024 general election4,437 enrolled; Barnawartha North was furthest above it, at +3.7%

The 2023 electoral structure review drew the wards so each would be within 10% of the average number of voters per councillor, working from enrolment forecasts; the bars show the rolls for the 2024 election itself.

SourceLocal council electoral structure review — Wodonga City Council, final report · Victorian Electoral Commission · 2023

SourceWodonga City Council — 2024 council election results · Victorian Electoral Commission · 2024

Ward results

Turnout at the 2024 ward elections ran from 82.5% in Huon Creek to 71.0% in Sumsion Gardens, and Marimba Park was decided by 11 votes after preferences.

• 82.5% Highest ward turnout: Huon Creek2024 general election3,948 of 4,785 enrolled
• 71.0% Lowest ward turnout: Sumsion Gardens2024 general election3,182 of 4,482 enrolled
• 11 votes Closest final margin: Marimba Park2024 general electionThen Sumsion Gardens 67, Barnawartha North 76 and Lake Hume 83 votes
• 71.3% Turnout at the Lake Hume Ward by-election4 Oct 20253,386 of 4,747 enrolled; 2.8% informal

Huon Creek, Baranduda Range and Racecourse were won outright, with more than half of first-preference votes, so no preferences were distributed and there is no final margin.

SourceWodonga City Council — 2024 council election results · Victorian Electoral Commission · 2024

SourceWodonga City Council, Lake Hume Ward by-election results · Victorian Electoral Commission · Oct 2025

Closed decisions

Council made 15.7% of its resolutions in meetings closed to the public in 2024–⁠25, above the 9.2% median of the other regional cities and up from 6.8% in 2020–⁠21.

• 15.7% Resolutions made in meetings closed to the public2024–253rd highest of the ten regional cities; Horsham and Mildura were higher
• 9.2% Median of the other nine regional cities2024–25
• 6.8% Same share2020–21Median of the other regional cities 8.0%
• 16.95% 2023–24 share as later corrected by Council2023–24Filed as 20.4%
• 4 of 5 Years above the median of the other regional cities2020–21 to 2024–25Below it in 2020–21: 6.8% against 8.0%

Victorian law allows specified confidential matters to be decided in a closed meeting; the share does not show whether any closure was justified.

SourceLocal Government Performance Reporting Framework — council results · Local Government Victoria · 2020–21 to 2024–25

Confidential items

Ordinary council meetings in the current term have carried 1.83 substantive confidential items each on average, up from 1.40 in the 2020–⁠2024 term and 0.64 in 2016–⁠2020.

• 1.83 Substantive confidential items per ordinary council meetingNov 2024 – Aug 2026Current term to date: 44 items across 24 meetings
• 1.40 Same measure, 2020–2024 termNov 2020 – Oct 202481 items across 58 meetings
• 0.64 Same measure, 2016–2020 termJan 2017 – Oct 202030 items across 47 meetings
• 75 of 158 Substantive items citing council business informationApr 2017 – Aug 2026132 closed under the 2020 Act, 26 under the 1989 Act

Routine confirmations of earlier confidential minutes are not counted. The 2016–2020 term is counted from January 2017, the earliest minutes in the record.

SourceCouncil meeting agendas and minutes · Wodonga Council · Jan 2017 – Aug 2026

The meetings and their confidential items, in Council Record

Councillors

Councillors attended 98.2% of council meetings in 2024–⁠25; elected representation cost $57,692 per councillor, up from $49,870 the year before.

• 98.2% Councillor attendance at council meetings2024–25Median of the other regional cities 96.6%
• $57,692 Cost of elected representation, per councillor2024–25Median of the other regional cities $55,233
• $49,870 Same cost2023–24$53,126 in 2020–21

Both figures are council-wide aggregates, not figures for any one councillor; the cost covers allowances, support and the governance function. Council's 2024–25 return attributes the rise mainly to first-year costs after the election, such as induction and training.

SourceLocal Government Performance Reporting Framework — council results · Local Government Victoria · 2020–21 to 2024–25

Consultation rating

Residents rated Council's consultation and engagement 54 out of 100 in 2024–⁠25, down from 60 in 2020–⁠21, level with Greater Shepparton as the highest of the ten regional cities.

• 54 Satisfaction with consultation and engagement, out of 1002024–25Equal highest of the ten regional cities, with Greater Shepparton
• 48 Median of the other nine regional cities2024–25
• 60 Same rating2020–21Median of the other regional cities 55
• 5 of 5 Years rated above the median of the other regional cities2020–21 to 2024–25

The rating comes from a sample survey with a margin of error; it does not count how many residents took part in consultations.

SourceLocal Government Performance Reporting Framework — council results · Local Government Victoria · 2020–21 to 2024–25

SourceCouncil Community Satisfaction Survey · Local Government Victoria · 2024–25

Individual consultations, in Projects & Consultations