| Country: | Victoria |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Election Date: | 16 March 2002 |
| Previous Election: | 2001 Victorian local elections |
| Previous Year: | 2001 |
| Next Election: | 2003 Victorian local elections |
| Next Year: | 2003 |
| Registered: | 560,000+ |
| Leader1: | None |
| Party1: | Independents |
| Last Election1: | 131 |
| Seats Before1: | 129 |
| Seats1: | 124 |
| Seat Change1: | 5 |
| Popular Vote1: | 443,889 |
| Percentage1: | 81.76% |
| Leader2: | N/A |
| Party2: | Australian Labor Party (Victorian Branch) |
| Last Election2: | 22 |
| Seats Before2: | 23 |
| Seats2: | 19 |
| Seat Change2: | 4 |
| Popular Vote2: | 56,771 |
| Percentage2: | 10.20% |
| Leader3: | N/A |
| Party3: | Liberal Party of Australia (Victorian Division) |
| Last Election3: | 3 |
| Seats Before3: | 3 |
| Seats3: | 5 |
| Seat Change3: | 2 |
| Popular Vote3: | 20,804 |
| Percentage3: | 3.74% |
| Leader4: | No leader |
| Party4: | Greens |
| Last Election4: | 0 |
| Seats Before4: | 1 |
| Seats4: | 6 |
| Seat Change4: | 5 |
| Popular Vote4: | 17,951 |
| Percentage4: | 3.22% |
| Leader5: | No leader |
| Party5: | Socialist |
| Color5: | DC143C |
| Last Election5: | 0 |
| Seats Before5: | 0 |
| Seats5: | 0 |
| Popular Vote5: | 988 |
| Percentage5: | 0.18% |
| Swing5: | 0.18 |
| Leader6: | No leader |
| Party6: | Socialist Alliance |
| Last Election6: | Did not exist |
| Seats Before6: | 0 |
| Seats6: | 0 |
| Popular Vote6: | 714 |
| Percentage6: | 0.13% |
| Swing6: | 0.13 |
The 2002 Victorian local elections were held on 16 March 2002 to elect the councils of 17 of the 78 local government areas in Victoria, Australia.[1]
Until 2008, local elections in Victoria were conducted periodically, meaning 53 councils were not up for election in 2002.[2] The City of Melbourne was initially scheduled to hold its election in 2002, but it was instead brought forward to 22 July 2001 following a change to its electoral structure.[3]
All elections were conducted by the Victorian Electoral Commission with the exception of the City of Moreland, which conducted its own election.[4]
27 candidates were elected unopposed across the state, 24 of which were independents.[1]
| Party | Votes | % | Swing | Seats | Change | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independents | 455,160 | 81.76 | 124 | 7 | ||||
| Labor | 56,771 | 10.20 | 19 | 4 | ||||
| Liberal | 20,804 | 3.74 | 5 | 2 | ||||
| Greens | 17,951 | 3.22 | 6 | 6 | ||||
| Independent Labor | 4,328 | 0.77 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Socialist | 988 | 0.18 | +0.18 | 0 | ||||
| Socialist Alliance | 714 | 0.13 | +0.13 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 556,725 | 100.0 | 155 | |||||
| Informal votes | ||||||||
| Party | Councils | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Change | ||||
| Independent | 14 | 1 | |||
| No overall control | 1 | 1 | |||
| Labor | 2 | ||||
Labor retained control of the City of Darebin and gained control of the City of Moreland, but lost control of the City of Yarra as a result of Greens, Independent Labor and independent gains.[1]
In addition to retaining two wards in Boroondara, the Liberal Party gained two seats in Greater Bendigo − Greg Williams (Eppalock) and Kevin Gibbins (Whipstick).[5] [6] A fifth Liberal councillor (Geoff White in Glenelg) was re-elected unopposed.[7]
Following the elections, the amount of LGAs expanded from 78 to 79 when the Shire of Delatite was split into the Rural City of Benalla and the Shire of Mansfield.[8]