2016 NSW council elections: Feuds, a flood and fatigue — half of NSW decides

UPDATE: Clover Moore is back for a record fourth term as Sydney lord mayor while the Liberal Party counts the damage in Western Sydney after today’s council elections.

• Sydney mayor: It’s looking like four Moore years

THE people of Sydney have spoken: bike lanes, wacky art and small bars are in, the major parties are out.

Clover Moore has cemented her title as the city’s longest-serving mayor after surviving a challenge against Liberal Christine Forster.

The Lord Mayor blitzed the field during yesterday’s mayoral election, winning an estimated 61 per cent of the primary vote.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore posed in Surry Hills for photos with fans.

Ms Forster, who carried the hopes of conservatives sick of 12 years of Clover Moore rule, attracted 15 per cent of the vote.

Labor’s Linda Scott received 10 per cent, while Angela Vithoulkas got 7 per cent.

“This is clearly the people’s win and…is in the face of the gerrymander to give two votes to business,” Ms Moore said.

“This is a real victory for democracy. It’s about the continuation of independent progressive community led government in the city and we’ve all worked so hard for this, so thank you to you all.”

It was a game of cat and mouse in streets of Sydney on Saturday, where Ms Moore did her best to avoid Liberal mayoral candidate Christine Forster.

The pair almost crossed paths during a visit to Bourke Street Public School in Surry Hills, until Ms Moore crossed the street to avoid an awkward encounter.

Worried election apathy would hurt her chances at securing another four-year term, Ms Moore urged her supporters to engage others via social media to vote.

Ms Forster called Ms Moore last night to congratulate her on her re-election.

“The final result won’t be known until pre-poll and postal votes are counted, but rest assured, that I will continue to hold the Lord Mayor accountable for the decisions that the council makes on behalf of the residents and businesses of Sydney,” Ms Forster said.

“I will continue listening to the people of Sydney and fighting for the policies and change of style my team and I campaigned for.”

Liberal candidate Christine Forster campaigns at Bourke St Public School. Picture: Adam Taylor

Meanwhile, Western Sydney has led a major backlash against Premier Mike Baird, with voters booting out a swathe of Liberals in yesterday’s local government elections.

Blacktown, Campbelltown and Penrith have all seen the Liberals lose councillor seats, while Camden’s Labor councillors have gone from one to three.

In Blacktown Labor went from seven councillors to 10, the first time this has happened since 2004.

The Liberals went from seven to five councillors.

“This is the highest result we have had in more than a decade,” Labor Blacktown Mayor Steve Bali said.

“People are sick of Baird ignoring Blacktown by concentrating on Parramatta. The Liberals also declared Blacktown Council not fit for the future, which people reacted against pretty angrily.”

Mr Bali said Labor has had an 11 per cent swing towards it in Blacktown.

He said northern areas of the municipality, such as Schofields and Riverstone, were particularly angry about the greyhound ban.

In Fairfield Labor looked set to lose the mayoralty to independent Frank Carbone, while the Liberals were on track to lose Sutherland.

Labor went from five to seven seats on Campbelltown Council at the expense of both the Liberals, who lost one seat, as well as an independent.

State MP Melanie Gibbons campaigns for Liberal candidate for Mayor Tony Hadchiti at Wattle Grove Public School. Picture: Jenny Evans

Former Campbelltown Liberal Mayor Paul Hawker, who is retiring, said the result is a disappointing one for the Liberals in Sydney’s south west.

He said “in some respects” there has been a backlash against Premier Mike Baird.

“Campbelltown will be a Labor-dominated council now,” Mr Hawker said.

“Some people are not happy about greyhounds and the council amalgamations. It is also about the state government has been in for five years.”

NSW Opposition Leader, Luke Foley the people of west and south west Sydney have sent a strong message to Mike Baird.

“They have had enough of his high handed arrogant behaviour,” Mr Foley said.

“They want a government that listens to their concerns.

“And Mr Baird should swallow his pride and can the greyhound ban”.

A NSW Liberal Party spokesman said their candidates ran strong grassroots campaigns on local issues.

“The party will continue listening to residents’ concerns and standing up for local communities across Sydney and NSW,” he said.

Wendy Waller campaigns as Labor's candidate for mayor at Liverpool.

Of the 152 councils in NSW, just 78 held elections today.

Another two — Carrathool and Coolamon shire councils — had so few candidates they were elected unopposed, while a death of a candidate at Tweed Shire Council delayed voting until next month.

The other councils in NSW have delayed elections after being caught up in amalgamations.

Police were called to deal with clashes among party volunteers in two council areas, including Fairfield, where ­tensions exploded.

Labor controversially chose not to endorse the council’s popularly-elected mayor Frank Carbone, who then teamed up with dumped Liberal candidate Dai Le on an ­independent ticket.

Mr Carbone was later thrown out of the Labor Party for breaching rules relating to campaigning against endorsed party members.

A Labor volunteer today made a complaint to police about a member of Mr Carbone’s support team, who is ­alleged to have made verbal ­insults at a polling booth at Bossley Park. Labor has attempted to revamp its team for the Western Sydney council by endorsing a female mayoral candidate, Del Bennett.

Over in Sutherland Shire, police were called to deal with a clash between Liberal and Labor Party volunteers over the placement of posters. A Labor volunteer claimed she was pushed by a Liberal volunteer.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore greets volunteers and the public on election day in Surry Hills.

In Liverpool, Liberal Party campaign material ­distributed at polling stations about a medically supervised room for ice smokers was lambasted by Labor as “disgusting” and “illegal”.

The ice room plan was the brainchild of drug law reformers but the brochures said “No ice room. Put Labor last”.

In the bush, Bland Shire Council was forced to suspend its count after one of its polling booths flooded following overnight rain. Under electoral laws, a count must not be undertaken if all designated polling booths cannot be opened.

The council will continue its election next Saturday.

Worried that election apathy would hurt her chances at securing another four-year term, Ms Moore urged her supporters to encourage others via social media to vote.

As the city’s longest serving mayor, Ms Moore, 70, has been plagued with questions over her commitment to serving out another four-year term, after already holding the job for 12 years. Some Town Hall insiders believe Ms Moore chose Dr Kerryn Phelps to be on her ticket as part of a succession plan.

Ms Forster has pledged to ditch some of Ms Moore’s expensive art commitments should she be elected.

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