Former Yarra Greens mayor Sophie Wade fights to keep council role

Former Yarra Greens mayor Sophie Wade is fighting to retain her spot on council after the early counting of ballot papers on Wednesday.

Former Yarra Greens mayor Sophie Wade is fighting to retain her spot on council. Picture: Supplied

Former Yarra Greens mayor Sophie Wade is fighting to retain her spot on council after the early counting of ballot papers on Wednesday.

Ms Wade has received 33.5 per cent of the primary vote in the Collingwood-based ward of Hoddle, but could lose out to community candidates who will preference each other.

The votes secured by Brielle Pope (19.5 per cent), Tony Lee (19), sitting councillor Michael Glynatsis (12.9) and Sharie Harrold (8.5) could see an independent candidate elected to the council.

Ms Pope shot to national prominence when she campaigned against Yarra’s creation of the “Australia’s saddest playground”, in Cambridge St, Collingwood.

Brielle Pope is contesting Hoddle ward.

And in Langridge ward, based in Abbotsford, independent Eva Aston has established a strong lead with 43.2 per cent of the primary vote.

Ms Aston, part of the Yarra For All movement, is expected to pick up preferences from Ha Tran and Socialists’ candidate Angus Fretwell.

The Greens’ Harrison Watt has 28.4 per cent of the vote in another disappointing result for the party.

Dr Alan Tse is an independent running for the Curtain ward.

Meanwhile, Edward Crossland, one of two remaining Greens on the outgoing council, had a slender lead in early voting on Tuesday from specialist anaesthetist Alan Tse in Curtain ward which covers Princes Hill and Carlton North.

Mr Crossland had 1445 votes, from Dr Tse’s 1248 after the first round of primary votes were counted by the Victorian Electoral Commission.

But Dr Tse is expected to secure more preferences from other candidates, especially business executive Peter Sprott, who has 854 votes and has campaigned on getting party politics out of local government.

City of Yarra Mayor Edward Crossland with former mayor Sophie Wade. Picture: Facebook

Mr Crossland has just 32 per cent of the primary vote in a neighbourhood considered Greens’ heartland.

In the Boulevard ward of Burnley and East Richmond, independent Sharon Harrison is the clear leader with 1421 primary votes, ahead of fellow independent Sarah McRitchie (768) with the Greens’ Oscar North trailing in third with 672 votes, or 16 per cent.

Sharon Harrison is leading the Boulevard Ward count.

Ms Harrison was a member of the Yarra For All movement which aimed to return the council’s focus on local services rather than national or international issues.

Voting in Yarra continues on Wednesday for the Hoddle (Collingwood) and Langridge (Abbotsford) wards.

In Hoddle, former Greens mayor Sophie Wade is up against six other candidates including current councillor Michael Glynatsis and community advocates Tony Lee, Brielle Pope and Sharie Harrold.

The Greens are contesting all nine Yarra wards after winning five spots in the 2020 election.

The other five wards will be counted on Thursday and Friday.

Originally published as Former Yarra Greens mayor Sophie Wade fights to keep council role