The countback was held by the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) yesterday due to an extraordinary vacancy following the resignation of Cr Charlie Vincent last month.

The countback included all remaining eligible candidates who were not elected at the general election.

Mr Kelley, who works at AGL as Head of Hydro, was officially declared elected by the VEC this morning.

He will be sworn in at a ceremony next Tuesday, 25 January 2022.

Alpine Shire Mayor Cr Sarah Nicholas said she was looking forward to working with Mr Kelley.

“We have some very exciting projects which are both under way and planned for our community and it is exciting as a Councillor to be part of this,” she said.

“Our Shire has faced some enormous challenges over the past few years and we as Councillors have an important role in helping to rebuild our community and businesses.

“Mr Kelley has great, contemporary experience through his corporate role and it will be excellent to see him bring that to the Council table.”