Friday, May 18, 2012
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$250K to stand for mayor vote candidate,” Mr Chamberlin said. “In City of Melbourne elections we’ve costed other people’s campaigns in the past at nearly $600,000 and some of those did not even win. “It costs at least $1 per voter for a mailout and if you don’t include at least one direct mail to every voter you’re not a serious candidate.” The 2008 Melbourne mayoral election had 11 candidates including winner Robert Doyle, former Geelong councillor Peter McMullin and now-Greens MP Adam Bandt. Victorian Electoral Commission recorded $400,725 in cam-
Only $30K: John Mitchell. paign donations to candidates. Andy Worland, of Geelongbased advertising firm Circle Media, said a “bare bones” cam-
paign would cost at least $60,000. Costs included up to $10,000 for “basic” newspaper advertising, up to $8000 for a website, $5000 for search engine optimisation and $2000 for social media, he said Print costs for brochures and other collateral would be at least $8000, with media releases costing a similar amount. “You’d probably want to hold a number of events such as breakfasts with a minimum cost of around $3000 per event,” Mr Worland said. “That’s what you’re looking at if you’re going to be serious. It’s
still a light-on campaign without an addressed mailout.” Incumbent Mayor John Mitchell told the Independent earlier this month that $30,000 would be the “upper-limit” of his campaign spending. The City allowed $650,000 in its annual budget to pay for municipal elections in October. Local Government Minister Jeanette Powell’s spokesman said the Melbourne and Geelong mayoral votes would be reviewed. “We just want to have a look at the systems and see where there are any benefits in possibly unifying them.”
Just for laughs: Clown Doctors Achoo and Doctor visit Geelong Hospital on Wednesday to lift the spirits of patients Layla, 7, and Jaymee, 11. Picture: Tommy Ritchie 81582
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BY JOHN VAN KLAVEREN A “SERIOUS” campaign for Geelong’s first direct mayoral election will cost at least $250,000, according to a fomer Melbourne Lord Mayor. Kevin Chamberlin said mailouts alone to Geelong’s larger electoral roll would make a mayoral campaign more expensive than in City of Melbourne. City of Greater Geelong has 167,000 enrolled voters compared to Melbourne’s 105,000. “Anybody unable to spend a minimum of $250,000 for election in Geelong is not a serious
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