Lismore City Council election results in changes to leadership

The makeup of the next Lismore City Council is materialising as votes flow in for the clear winner.

Lismore City Council Mayor Vanessa Ekins says the next three years will be interesting as she and fellow mayoral candidates Elly Bird and Darlene Cook look to serve with clear electoral frontrunner Steve Krieg.

Mr Krieg claimed victory just hours after the polls closed on Saturday after shooting ahead in the first preference vote count.

His commanding share of the votes, 53.8 per cent on Monday evening, meant he would take up to five or six candidates who ran on his ticket as councillors in the next council.

“I’m very relieved and very excited about the challenge ahead,” Mr Krieg said.

He added that he didn’t want to speculate on the number of councillor positions his ticket would achieve with the count not finished.

The numbers were close between Ms Ekins at 15.35 per cent and Ms Bird, of Our Sustainable Future, at 12.72 per cent.

Country Labor candidate Ms Cook was at 9.6 per cent while independents Big Rob and Patrick Healey were at 4.88 per cent and 3.64 per cent respectively.

Ms Ekins appears favourable to retain a position as a councillor along with Elly Bird, and Darlene Cook.

Big Rob may acquire a councillor’s position based on preferences received from Mr Krieg.

“Each election is different,” Ms Ekins said.

“I think it’s going to be an interesting three years,” Mayor Ekins said.

There have been 20,351 formal votes counted out of 31,531 registered voters in the shire.