Surge in Greens vote saves Deputy Mayor in Holland Park

A huge swing to the Greens in Holland Park has seen the LNP Deputy Mayor returned to office.

Deputy Mayor Krista Adams is returned on the back of a surging Greens vote. Picture: AAP/Josh Woning

THE Greens vote has boosted LNP Deputy Mayor Krista Adams back into office in Holland Park with Labor’s Karleigh Auguston already conceding defeat.

With 38 per cent of the vote counted, Cr Adams attracted 47 per cent of the primary vote, Mrs Auguston 31 per cent and Greens Jenny Gamble 22 per cent.

Despite the Greens campaign encouraging voters to number every box and preferencing Labor in Holland Park, a Labor Party source said Greens voters were only voting one.

“The high exhaustion rate of the Greens vote meant there was no contest,” he said.

Mrs Auguston turned to Facebook to thank her supporters.

“The time has come for me to pack away the signs and turn to the next chapter,” she said.

“I’m really proud of the campaign we ran here in Holland Park Ward. We were focused on practical solutions for the local problems we face.”

Labor candidate for Holland Park Karleigh Auguston packs up the corflutes.

She urged the community to “continue to raise up our collective voices to ensure our suburbs aren’t forgotten amongst the development changes that are occurring”.

In the past term Cr Adams has been plagued with difficult development proposals from the Tarragindi Bowls Club development to council buying out a proposed townhouses site in a low density area only to have the same developer lodge similar plans in a low density site blocks away at Holland Park and a controversial childcare centre at Abbotsleigh St at Holland Park.

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Ms Gamble said the result was a huge achievement for the Greens, increasing their vote from 15 per cent in 2016 to 22 per cent.

“I think it sends quite a strong statement. This is one in five people in Holland Park, with the Deputy Mayor as incumbent, who voted Green.

“It is a significant statement the public has made. I think people in Holland Park particularly are really fed up with the idea that development goes ahead unchecked. That they don’t have a say, they don’t get the infrastructure that goes along with the development and many of the council’s own plans aren’t being delivered on.

Greens candidate Jenny Gamble campaigning in Holland Park.

“We don’t have good connection to our major infrastructure with cycling, walking or buses across the district. We can see what happened around Stones Corner and elsewhere and we can see it creeping up the hill towards Holland Park.

“The deeper problem is we are not being listened to. People were really unhappy and they told me how they thought that it was just a free rein for developers and there was no reciprocal benefit for them.”

Cr Adams said with less than 50 per cent of the votes counted it was too early to know final numbers.

“At this stage it looks like I will be returned with an increased majority,” she said.

“I have worked hard for the local community and always make myself available to listen to my residents. I am looking forward to continuing that hard work over the next four years.”

In the 2016 election Cr Adams secured 49.6 per cent of the vote.