The increase of voter turnout at the recent council election in City of Yarra matched voters’ expectations of people oriented local government policies. “We would like to gain more funding from the government as price of goods is getting more expensive,” said Xu, a Collingwood public housing Estate resident.

According to the Victoria Electoral Commission’s report, about 56.47% (11,496) of citizens of City of Yarra took part in the election out of 20,359 eligible voters. It is “5.27% higher than that of the last election in 2004” said Paul Thomson-Smith, a Victoria Election Commissioner.

The build up of voter turnout was slow. Soon after 8 am, when the election started to proceed, there were very few people cueing to cast their votes at Collingwood town hall, one of the polling stations in Langridge Ward. In the street, directly the opposite of the town hall, there were 8 people and candidates from different political parties and an independent handing out how-to-vote cards to voters.

One of them was The Socialist Party candidate Stephen Jolly who promised to provide a “24-seater-bus for Collingwood and Atherthon Gardens estate aged residents for trips”. To do it, he will use the 2009 council budget that is estimated to be about $125 million.

Better access to leisure buses is one of voters’ expectations. Chow, another aged voter, said “we would like to have 1 or 2 days more in a week for the Seniors Free Travelling Pass”. In Langiridge Ward Jolly was the first elected councillor, gaining 3141 votes, followed by Amanda Stone of the Greens with 2830 votes and Geoff Barber of Labor party, 1735 votes.