by Cam Lucadou-Wells
Five sitting councillors have reclaimed their seats, with several more in the balance, according to official provisional City of Greater Dandenong election results.
The Victorian Electoral Commission website published this election’s primary vote counts across all wards on 6 November.
Labor members Phillip Danh (Yarraman Ward, 58.7 per cent), Lana Formoso (Noble Park North, 55.5 per cent) and Jim Memeti (Dandenong, 62.8 per cent) as well as conservative independent Bob Milkovic (Dandenong North, 52 per cent) all polled more than 50 per cent primaries – and have provisionally won their seats.
Sophie Tan, also ALP-affiliated, was elected unopposed in Noble Park Ward.
Today (7 November), preference counts should settle the finely-balanced contests in Cleeland and Springvale Central wards, as well as Keysborough and Keysborough South.
Springvale North and Springvale South outcomes should be decided on Friday 8 November.
In Cleeland, Greens ex-councillor Rhonda Garad (2025 votes, 34.6 per cent) is ahead of ALP sitting councillor Angela Long (1804, 30.9 per cent) by 221 primary votes.
They are followed by ALP-affiliated candidates Zahra Haydar Big (1356) – who pointedly didn’t direct preferences – and Pradeep Hewavitharana (662)
Weeks ahead of the election, Garad, the outgoing Keysborough South Ward councillor, made a shock run against three-time mayor Long.
Springvale Central is a three-way cliffhanger, with just 41 votes between ALP members Alice Phuong Le and Meng Bunlay, and non-affiliated Minh Le.
Alice Le, a real estate agent, narrowly leads with 1669 votes (24 per cent) against migration agent Bunlay (1636, 23.5 per cent) and architect-builder Minh Le (1628, 23.4 per cent).
Other candidates are Brian Dalton (987), Hor Truong (612) and Sean Stebbings (Socialist, 438).
In other wards, Greens candidate Isabella Do (47.5 per cent) looks nearly certain to claim Keysborough South, as does ALP ex-mayor Sean O’Reilly (45.4 per cent) in Springvale North.
In Keysborough Ward, independent Melinda Yim (42.1 per cent) is also a likely winner, ahead of second-placed ex-councillor Peter Brown (28.9 per cent).
With preferences to come, Springvale South sitting ALP councillor Loi Truong (34 per cent) is also strongly placed to win. Next best are Thayhorn Yim (19.2 per cent) and Andy Tran (17 per cent).
