Mayor & councillors
Wellington has three wards — Northern, Central and Coastal — and each elects three councillors, nine in all, for the 2024–2028 term. The council says each councillor represents the whole shire. Voters don't elect the Mayor directly: the councillors choose one of themselves. Because each ward's councillors are elected by proportional representation, a seat that falls vacant is filled by a countback of the 2024 votes, not a by-election.
New to these terms? Read them in plain English
- How the mayor is chosen
- Either elected directly by voters, or chosen by the councillors.
- Ward
- A subdivision of a council area that elects its own councillors.
- Local Government Area (LGA)
- The official area a council governs.
Who represents you
- Mayor
- Cr Cindy Madeley (Coastal Ward)Elected Mayor by the councillors in November 2025 for a 12-month term, after Cr Scott Rossetti decided to step down from the role (council announcement, 19 November 2025). Cr Madeley was Deputy Mayor in 2024–25; Cr Rossetti was Mayor for that year.
- Deputy Mayor
- Cr Liz Foat (Central Ward)Elected at the same time, for a 12-month term.
- Councillors
- 9 in office — 3 per wardThe council's current councillors list and the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) show the same nine names (checked September 2026). No countback has been held since the October 2024 election.
- Next mayoral election
- November 2026 (date not yet published)The current terms run for 12 months from November 2025. The council's 2026 meeting schedule doesn't mark which meeting will elect the Mayor; November meetings are on Wednesday 4 November and Tuesday 17 November.Meeting schedule →
- Council meetings
- 5pm on the first and third Tuesday of each month (none in January), Council Chambers, SaleMeetings are streamed live on the council's YouTube channel. You can send a question or comment for a meeting by 1pm on the day, or register at least two business days ahead to address the council through its virtual public gallery.Meetings and questions →
Your representatives
Cindy Madeley
Mayor / Councillor · Coastal Ward
Liz Foat
Deputy Mayor / Councillor · Central Ward
Scott Rossetti
Councillor · Central Ward
Geoff Wells
Councillor · Central Ward
Garry Stephens
Councillor · Coastal Ward
Catherine Bannerman
Councillor · Coastal Ward
Edward Lowe
Councillor · Northern Ward
Carmel Ripper
Councillor · Northern Ward
John Tatterson
Councillor · Northern Ward
Want to raise something? Contacting your ward councillor or the mayor is one of the most direct ways to be heard between elections.
Victorian council ballot papers and results don't show party affiliation, so we don't label councillors. We list who holds office, with their council email addresses and official profiles, and link to the election results. In a multi-councillor ward like Wellington's, a vacancy is filled by a VEC countback: the votes from the 2024 election are recounted among the candidates who weren't elected and are still eligible. A by-election is held only if no eligible candidate remains. For general questions, contact the council on 1300 366 244 or enquiries@wellington.vic.gov.au. For the latest list, see the council's page or the VEC.
Sources — check it yourself
- Wellington Shire Council — Current Councillors (and each councillor's profile page) · Sep 2026
- Wellington Shire Council — Wellington Shire Council welcomes new Mayor and Deputy Mayor (19 Nov 2025) · Nov 2025
- Wellington Shire Council — New leadership for Wellington Shire: Cr Scott Rossetti elected as Mayor (19 Nov 2024) · Nov 2024
- Wellington Shire Council — Mayoral Honour Roll · Sep 2026
- Wellington Shire Council — Meeting Schedule and Information (2026 schedule) · Sep 2026
- Victorian Electoral Commission — Wellington Shire Council (current councillors by ward) · Sep 2026
- Victorian Electoral Commission — Council countbacks and by-elections · Sep 2026
Figures are current as at the dates shown and may change — always confirm with the linked source. See the notice at the bottom of the page for full details and how to report a correction.