Jaymes Diaz elected to Blacktown Council as Labor records best result in more than a decade

LABOR has had a convicing win and rookie councillor Jaymes Diaz thanked the people of Blacktown for giving him a second chance and electing him to the council as the Ward 2 rep.

Jaymes Diaz with supporters at the Blacktown Council election on September 10. Picture: Peter Kelly

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ROOKIE councillor Jaymes Diaz thanked the people of Blacktown for giving him a second chance and electing him to the council as the Ward 2 representative.

The gratitude comes three years after an embarrassing Federal Election campaign for Greenway in 2013 when he could not explain the Coalition’s policy on asylum seeker boats.

“I understand that not everyone is open to giving second chances — that’s the world we live in — but the majority have spoken and I’m the Liberal representative for the ward,’’ Mr Diaz said.

“We’re in opposition but we will work hard to hold Labor to account and to make sure that we continue to fight to ensure that Blacktown improves.”

The 40 year old said the election signalled the need for his counterparts to listen to voters.

Labor Opposition Leader Luke Foley and Blacktown Mayor Stephen Bali hand out voting papers.

The Liberal Party looked set to lose at least two seats in Blacktown.

Mr Diaz’s father and incumbent councillor Jess Diaz will likely be re-elected in Ward 1. But Labor candidates were the big winners.

The party recorded its best result in Blacktown in more than a decade, picking up an extra three seats in the local government election.

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

The Liberals went from six to five councillors.

Blacktown Council election at Doonside High.Voters going to the polls.

Blacktown incumbent Mayor Stephen Bali said Labor had enjoyed an 11 per cent swing in Blacktown.

“To have more than 50 per cent of people in Blacktown supporting one party as a first preference is a rarity,” he said.

“We are humbled and honoured to represent the people of Blacktown.”

He said state and federal issues including the ban on greyhound racing, Badgerys Creek Airport and the lack of investment in Blacktown had factored into the results.

“There were a lot of state issues as far as Mike Baird believing that western Sydney starts and finishes in Parramatta,” he said.

“A lot of infrastructure needs to be built.”

Jaymes Diaz at the council election.

With counting still under way at the time of print on Monday, results showed Labor leading in all five wards.

Results

Ward 1: Labor 42.7%, Liberal 40%, Group C Independents 9.7%, Group D Independents 7.5%

Ward 2: Labor 45.5%, Liberal 27.2%, The Greens 9.5%, Group D Independents 6.8%

Ward 3: Labor 48%, Liberal 22.7%, The Greens 7.6%, Group A Indepdents 4.5%,

Ward 4: Labor 63.1%, Liberal 23.7%, Group D Independents 6.9%

Ward 5: Labor 59.8%, Liberal 19.55, Australia First Party 8.6%, The Greens 7.9%, Group D Independents 2.9%

*Data is current at time of press on Monday