The Hills Local Government election: what you need to know

The Hills Local Government elections are on Saturday, September 9 and for the first time residents can choose the Mayor.

The Hills Returning Officer Wayne Donaldson and senior officer Carol Cope carry out the draw to decide which order the Mayoral candidates will be on the ballot. Hills Shire Mayoral candidates: (L to right) Ray Brown (Building Australia Party) Michelle Byrne (Liberal), Tony Hay (Labor) Jeff Lowe (independent

Hills residents will have their chance to vote for the Mayor for the first time since council was elected in 1906 and there is a choice of four candidates.

The four are former Hills Shire Mayors Michelle Byrne and Tony Hay, former deputy mayor Ray Brown and current councillor Jeff Lowe.

Nominations for Hills Shire Councillors and for Mayor closed at noon on Wednesday.

A small crowd of candidates and supporters gathered at the AEC’s Returning Office (the former Castle Hill Day Surgery) in Cecil Ave, Castle Hill to watch Hills Returning Officer Wayne Donaldson perform the draw for positions on the ballot paper which happened just after 7pm on Wednesday.

First spot on the Mayoral ballot paper has gone to the head of the Building Australia Party and former Baulkham Hills Shire Councillor and Depurty Mayor Ray Brown. Former Liberal councillor Jeff Lowe who is standing as an independent has second spot. Third out of the ballot draw was veteran Labor councillor Tony Hay.

Former Liberal Mayor Michelle Byrne drew the final spot on the Mayoral ballot paper.

The decision to move to a popularly elected mayor was made at the last Local Government Elections when 52.87 per cent of voters voted in favour of the change.

Previously, councillors elected the mayor and deputy mayor on an annual basis.

The first popularly elected Mayor will stand for a three-year term and for four-year terms in subsequent elections.

Voting will run alongside voting for the 12 council spots up for election with three seats in each ward.

As well as full teams for the Liberals and ALP, a team from Building Australia Party in all four wards, there is a large selection of independent candidates, The Greens have candidates in East Ward and.

Candidates are in the order they appear on the Electoral Commission NSW website: candidates.elections.nsw.gov.au

CENTRAL WARD: independent: Jeff Lowe, Shane Faust and Colin Lees Labor: Tony Hay, David Ager, Su Lily. Building Australia Party: Ray Brown, Geoff Craig and Eva Emrich. Liberal: Elizabeth Russo, Frank de Masi. Trent Richmond.

EAST WARD: Liberal: Alan Haseldon, Samuel Uno, Belinda Vassallo. The Greens: Catherine Woolnough, Lawrence Murphy and Jocelyn Howden. Independent: Bill Elmer, Irene Cheung, Patricia Tims. Labor: Ryan Tracey, Uma Menon, Daniel Marcel. Building Australia Party: Jim Pignat, Joel Marchant and Peter Hall. Animal Justice Party: Mandy Yeates

NORTH WARD: Building Australia Party: John Vellenga, Bob Hearn and Simon Costigan. Liberal: Robyn Preston, Peter Gangemi, Brooke Collins. Labor: Immanuel Selvaraj, Susan Lee, Chris Worthington. No group stated: Ajay Taneja. Independent: Alexia Yazdani.

WEST WARD: Labor: Raymond Harty, Monika Tracey. Steve Marks. Liberal: Mike Thomas, Reena Jethi and Zhiyuan Wang. Building Australia Party: Michael O’Donnell, Todd Porter and David Walter.

There is no absent voting at this election. Voting must vote at a polling place in your council area or ward, or pre-poll venue issuing votes for your local council or ward.

There will be 41 polling booths in the Hills Shire Council area on polling day Saturday, September 9. Voting is open 8am to 6pm. Chereck out where the local polling booths are here..

Pre polling opens on Monday, August 28 with two local venues, The Hills Shire Council offices at 3 Columbia Court, Baulkham Hills and at Castle Hill at The Hills Returning Officer’s Office

Level 2, 72-74 Cecil Ave (the former Castle Hill Day Surgery building).