ALP polling well in Burwood and Canada Bay as Libs hit by swings as high as 7 per cent

LABOR has retained the mayor’s seat at Burwood Council and won back the top job at Canada Bay as the Liberals are hit by massive swings.

Labor was doing well in early counting across Burwood and Canada Bay councils. Pic: AAP Image/ Troy Snook

11pm: LABOR has retained the mayor’s seat at Burwood Council and won back the top job at Canada Bay after the Liberals were hit by massive swings against them.

Burwood incumbent mayor John Faker said his personal vote increased by about eight per cent on the 2012 election as he grabbed 52 per cent of the vote.

In Canada Bay Labor veteran Angelo Tsirekas returned to the mayor’s chair even though he had been away from the council for about 18 months.

Mr Tsirekas resigned from council in 2016 after the state government announced the council would merge with Burwood and Canada Bay. He also unsuccessfully ran for federal parliament.

But tonight he collected 40 per cent of the vote, putting him about 1,000 votes ahead of the incumbent Liberal mayor Helen McCaffrey who rang him to concede defeat early in the evening.

Ms McCaffrey’s seat on council is in doubt.

In Burwood a bid for the mayoral chains by Liberal newcomer Joseph Del Duca, a former adviser to Liberal federal MPs, stalled after he attracted just 23 per cent of the vote.

Popular independent, and the first ever female mayor of Burwood, Lesley Furneaux-Cook, did well, grabbing one quarter of the votes.

Follow the live results for Burwood Council here: www.elections.nsw.gov.au/burwood

Burwood Labor mayor John Faker.

In Canada Bay, bids for the mayoral robes by independent Daniela Ramondino and the Greens’ Charles Jago fell away.

Former high profile union leader Andrew Ferguson looks to have made it on to Canada Bay council with figures suggesting Labor will win three seats despite a seven per cent swing against them. The Liberals should win three, even with a six per cent swing away.

The Greens could grab one seat with the eighth possibly going to independent Daniela Ramondino.

A spokesman for Mr Tsirekas said the mayor in waiting is pleased to have attracted a substantial vote despite being away from council for 18 months.

“And to have a 1,000 vote majority was particularly pleasing,” the spokesman said.

Follow the live results for Canada Bay Council here: www.elections.nsw.gov.au/canadabay

Canada Bay Labor mayoral candidate Angelo Tsirekas. Picture: John Appleyard

Mr Faker said Labor should win four seats on the new Burwood Council where there was a swing of six per cent to the ALP.

The Libs had a swing against them of more than three per cent.

“It is really humbling to see your personal vote go up by eight per cent,” Mr Faker said.

“(NSW Opposition leader) Luke Foley rang me a bit earlier to congratulate me and our supporters for all their hard work.

“In one booth, Burwood Park, my vote went up 16 per cent. I am so thankful to the people of Burwood for putting their faith in me.

“So it’s straight back to work on Monday morning.”

Daniela Ramondino, lead candidate for the Canada Bay Independents.

In Strathfield, where the mayor is not chosen by a public vote, but by the council, the independent Save Our Strathfield group has grabbed one of the council’s seven seats.

Led by vocal community campaigner Nella Hall, who fought against the proposed forced merger with Burwood and Canada Bay, the group secured close to one quarter of the vote.

Follow the live results for Strathfield Council here: www.elections.nsw.gov.au/strathfield

Nella Hall (left) leader of the Save Our Strathfield Independents Nella Hall and Lina De Marco from independent Community Voice who ran in the Burwood local government poll.

The Liberals look set to win three seats and Labor should have two seats with the eighth going to a second group of independents, the Mayor’s Independent Team, which includes incumbent mayor Andrew Soulos.

But Mr Soulos looks to have missed out because his name was second on the ticket behind his running mate Matthew Blackmore.

Former Strathfield mayor Andrew Soulos celebrates outside the Strathfield Council chambers in July after the state government decision to call off his council's merger with Burwood and Canada Bay councils. (AAP Image/Joel Carrett)

There were swings of seven per cent away from the Libs in Strathfield.

Ms Hall said she was grateful that the Strathfield community had recognised the work she and her team had done to lobby the state government to stop council mergers.

“It was very clear that Strathfield people did not want their council amalgamated and I will continue to work to make sure that does not happen,” she said.