Labor and Greens dominate Inner West Council results while Liberals suffer eight per cent drop
LABOR and the Greens have dominated the first Inner West Council election as focus turns to the race for mayor
Inner West
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SATURDAY 4PM: LABOR and the Greens have dominated the first Inner West Council election but neither party was won enough seats for an outright majority.
The results from last Saturday’s election were officially finalised today after counting went down to the wire in two of the council’s five wards.
Labor and the Greens have each won five seats on the council, the Liberals have taken two and the Independents have secured three positions.
Just a handful of votes determined the results in contests for the third seat in the Marrickville and Balmain wards.
Independent John Stamolis benefited from preference flows in Balmain to pip Labor’s Linda Kelly and Liberals candidate Stephen Meates.
In Marrickville, Independent Victor Macri edged across the line in a tight contest against fellow independent Victoria Pye. Just 311 votes separated them.
Of the 15 councillors elected, 10 have previously served on council including former mayors Darcy Byrne, Sam Iskander and Lucille McKenna (all Labor), Victor Macri (Independent) and Rochelle Porteous (Greens).
New faces include Independent Pauline Lockie and Greens councillor Tom Kiat, the youngest candidate to be elected.
Labor’s Anna York and Greens candidates Marghanita da Cruz and Louise Steer will also settle in to councillor chairs for the first time.
With results finalised, attention now turns to the mayoralty vote which is expected to be a contest between Labor’s Darcy Byrne and the Greens, who have yet to field a candidate.
The parties would need to gain the support of the Liberals and Independents to secure a majority. Alternatively, an agreement could be struck between Labor and the Greens - similar to deals formed at the former Leichhardt Council.
The position will be determined by the majority vote of councillors at a meeting in Ashfield on Thursday.
Elected councillors
MARGHANITA DA CRUZ (Greens, Leichhardt)
COLIN HESSE (Greens, Marrickville)
TOM KIAT (Greens, Ashfield)
ROCHELLE PORTEOUS (Greens, Balmain)
LOUISE STEER (Greens, Stanmore)
DARCY BYRNE (Labor, Balmain)
MARK DRURY (Labor, Ashfield)
SAM ISKANDER (Labor, Marrickville)
LUCILLE MCKENNA (Labor, Leichhardt)
ANNA YORK (Labor, Stanmore)
JULIE PASSAS (Liberal, Ashfield)
VITTORIA RACITI (Liberal, Leichhardt)
PAULINE LOCKIE (Independent, Stanmore)
JOHN STAMOLIS (Independent, Balmain)
VICTOR MACRI (Independent, Marrickville)
How the dust settled
The election was the first since last year’s merger and new electoral boundaries threw up some surprise results.
In Ashfield, the Greens had a surge in support with analysts recording a 13.4 per cent increase in votes towards the party.
The Greens however suffered a 10 per cent swing in Balmain, traditionally safe territory for the party, while the Liberals also recorded a double-digit drop.
Benefiting was Labor’s Darcy Byrne, who picked up a 12 per cent swing in the ward and recorded the clearest majority of any candidate across the council area.
Despite a strong turnout for Labor, there were swings against the party in Marrickville and Stanmore where large numbers of voters turned towards Independent candidates.
In Marrickville, Independents picked up almost a third of first preferences, while Independent Pauline Lockie was a clear winner for the third seat in Stanmore.
The Liberals meanwhile suffered a swing in all wards with just two candidates — Julie Passas and Vittoria Raciti — picking up seats in Ashfield and Leichhardt.
A total of 99,955 people voted in the poll — short of the 130,677 registered across the council area.
Labor picked up 33.8 per cent of first preferences ahead of the Greens (28.8 per cent) and the Liberals (17.5 per cent). The seven Independent teams took a combined 18.8 per cent.
Labor won 29 of the 53 polling booths, the Greens won 20, the Liberals won four (tying with Labor at Croydon Park Public) and Independent John Stamolis took one.
Labor’s largest vote was at Lilyfield Community Centre with 51 per cent of the vote. Newtown Mission Chapel led for the Greens (48 per cent), Dobroyd Pt Public led for the Liberals (39 per cent) and Mr Stamolis won Nicholson St Public (36 per cent).
Pauline Lockie picked up more than 20 per cent of the vote at booths at Camdenville Public, Bridge Rd Public and Australia St School. Victor Macri had similar percentages at Marrickville Town Hall, Tempe High and St Clements Marrickville.
The results revealed one in five residents voted at pre-poll booths at Ashfield, Marrickville, Leichhardt and Sydney Town Hall. A further 7114 people had their say via postal vote.
There were also 4216 informal votes with almost a quarter of these coming from the Marrickville ward (1060).
Leichhardt Town Hall was the most popular polling location for residents, with 3151 votes lodged on election day.
Rounding out the top five were Rozelle Public (2839 votes), Stanmore Public (2643 votes), Ashfield Town Hall (2507) and Marrickville Town Hall (2393).
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MONDAY 12PM: COUNTING for the first Inner West Council election is going down to the wire with tight contests in two wards.
Candidates are closely watching results from Balmain and Marrickville where the third seats in both wards remain up for grabs.
In Marrickville, preference flows are shaping up to be a deciding factor between independent candidates Victor Macri and Victoria Pye.
Both candidates have pulled 16 per cent of the popular vote and are currently separated by just nine votes.
Labor’s preferences will flow to Mr Macri, the former mayor of Marrickville, while the Greens have preferenced first-time candidate Ms Pye.
In Balmain, a three-way race for the third seat has emerged between Labor, the Liberals and independent John Stamolis.
Huge polling numbers for Labor currently has candidate Darcy Byrne’s running mate Linda Kelly leading the race for the seat.
Liberals candidate Stephen Meates and Mr Stamolis are close behind, both polling 17.5 per cent of first preferences.
In Ashfield, Liberal candidate Julie Passas is holding on to the third seat with 20 per cent of the popular vote.
The dark horse is Labor candidate Mark Drury’s running mate Chrisanthi Giotis, who is in line to benefit from strong Labor polling and preference flows.
11.30AM: THE Liberals have weighed in on the results from Saturday’s election, saying a drop in support for the party was “disappointing” but “expected”.
Candidate Julie Passas, who is in line to secure a seat in the Ashfield ward, said she was not surprised to see a swing against the party across the council area.
“There’s no doubt there was a backlash but that’s always going to be the case when you have a party that actually makes decisions,” she said.
Ms Passas said she would be willing to back Labor’s mayoral candidate Darcy Byrne for the top job, saying she “could not in good conscience support the Greens”.
“I have no problem backing a Labor mayor ... because the Greens are too much ‘up in the air’,” she said.
“I only hope the Greens that did get on council channel their energies on local issues rather than State and Federal issues”.
11AM: THE Greens have yet to declare the party’s mayoral candidate, despite winning seats in all five wards at the first Inner West Council election.
Councillors are due to hold a vote at the council’s first meeting on September 26 to determine who will wear the mayoral robes.
Both Labor and the Greens would need support from Independents and/or Liberal councillors to secure the majority.
“We’re waiting for the final results before we put up our candidate,” said Greens candidate Colin Hesse, who has been elected in Marrickville.
“We can’t make a decision on that until the final makeup of the council is determined”.
MONDAY 10AM: LABOR has held its lead on the popular vote as counting for the first Inner West Council election enters the third day.
The party is currently leading first preferences at 33.9 per cent, ahead of the Greens (29 per cent) and the Liberals (17.8 per cent).
Labor has taken the most number of votes in the Ashfield, Leichhardt and Balmain wards, while the Greens lead in Marrickville and Stanmore.
At this stage, Labor and the Greens have both secured five of the 15 seats, the Liberals have locked in one, and independent Pauline Lockie has taken the third seat in Stanmore.
About 70 per cent of the votes have been counted so far, with a final result not expected until Saturday, according to the NSW Electoral Commission.
SATURDAY 11.30PM: LABOR and the Greens have dominated early counting with both parties in line to win seats in all five wards on the first Inner West Council.
As of 11.30pm on Saturday, Labor has won 34 per cent of first preferences (up from 30 per cent from the last election in 2012), the Greens have won 30 per cent (on par with 2012) while the Liberals are on 16 per cent (down eight per cent from 2012).
The seven independent teams have meanwhile taken a combined 19.3 per cent of the vote, up from 15 per cent in 2012.
A huge lead for Labor’s mayoral candidate Darcy Byrne in the Balmain ward is on track to give the party enough support for a sixth seat on the council.
Mr Byrne has pulled 44 per cent of first preferences, ahead of Greens candidate Rochelle Porteous (22 per cent), independent John Stamolis (17.4 per cent) and the Liberals Stephen Meates (16.8 per cent).
The Greens and Labor could also pick up an extra seat in Ashfield where both parties have each pulled more than 35 per cent of first preference votes.
Tom Kiat (The Greens) is leading at 36 per cent, ahead of former councillors Mark Drury (Labor, 35 per cent) and Julie Passas (Liberal, 18 per cent).
Battleground wards include a neck-and-neck race in Marrickville with just 10 votes separating Independents Victor Macri and Victoria Pye for the third seat.
Greens candidate Colin Hesse and former Labor mayor Sam Iskander are leading in the ward with a respective 30 per cent and 28 per cent of the vote so far.
A clearer picture has emerged in Leichhardt with the major parties pulling a combined 85 per cent of first preferences.
Leading is former Labor mayor Lucille McKenna, with Greens candidate Marghanita Da Cruz and Liberals candidate Vittoria Raciti close behind.
First-time candidates have meanwhile polled well in Stanmore with Louise Steer (Greens) and Anna York (Labor) each securing more than 30 per cent of the vote. Independent Pauline Lockie is on track to win the third seat with 20 per cent of the vote.
This is the last update on the election from the Courier until Monday morning. To keep a track of results head to www.votensw.info/inner-west
11PM: INDEPENDENTS have welcomed “some pretty amazing results” from today’s poll, with up to three candidates tipped to win seats on the first Inner West Council.
Almost 20 per cent of the first preference votes counted so far have fallen to the seven independents running in today’s election — up five per cent from the last poll in 2012.
First time candidate Pauline Lockie is on track to win the third seat in the Stanmore ward, with a clear lead over the forth and fifth placed candidates.
Former councillor John Stamolis is also polling well in Balmain, while Independents Victor Macri and Victoria Pye are in a close battle for the third seat in Marrickville.
“It’s definitely a pretty amazing result given what I’ve been up against in the ward with the two big party machines,” Ms Lockie said.
“As an independent you can’t rely on the party name to get you across the line so you really have to put in the work and get out and about meeting residents.
“The result is very humbling”.
Ms Lockie, whose background includes advocacy for the WestConnex Action Group, said she was not surprised to see an increase in votes for Independents.
“We’re seeing this play out at a global level — people are sick of the same old, same old and feel like they’re being let down by the party donor system and strategists rather than what’s in the best interests of residents,” she said.
Ms Lockie said it was “too early” to predict how she would work with major party candidates elected to the council.
“Depending on the final result, it could end up being that independents decide the working majority on council,” she said.
“At this stage it’s too early to predict”.
10PM: GREENS candidate Tom Kiat is on track to become the youngest candidate elected to the first Inner West Council.
The 25-year-old lawyer is leading with a 173 vote majority in the Ashfield ward and has more than double the vote of the Liberals and independent candidate Morris Mansour.
“I think it’s important to have both young and old representatives on council because we want to see diversity on council,” Mr Kiat said.
“Talking to people at Ashfield Town Hall today there has been a really positive response to Greens policies including investment in community infrastructure and renewable energy, housing affordability and advocacy on WestConnex and overdevelopment.”
Early polling results suggest The Greens will secure positions in all five wards across the Inner West Council with comfortable leads in Stanmore and Marrickville.
The results also show the Greens and Labor on track to increase their first preference majority since the last election in 2012 with both parties polling above 30 per cent of the total vote.
The Liberals are meanwhile shaping up for a 10 per cent loss in first preferences, while Independents and minor parties are up five per cent.
9.30PM: LABOR’S mayoral candidate Darcy Byrne is confident the party will secure the largest popular vote from today’s election.
Early polling suggests the party will earn seats in all of the five wards, with a sixth seat likely in Mr Byrne’s ward of Balmain where Labor has secured more than 43 per cent of first preferences.
A seventh seat is also a possibility in Ashfield, where the Greens and Labor are out front with a respective 37 and 34 per cent of the votes.
As of 9.30pm, Labor has totalled 13,526 votes across the council area, ahead of the Greens at 12,468 and the Liberals at 6569.
“Labor’s on track to have the largest popular vote and become the largest party on the council,” Mr Byrne said.
“I will be negotiating respectfully with all parties to be elected as the mayor of the inner west as the only person who’s nominated during the election campaign to do so”.
8.30PM: LABOR and the Greens are leading early polling in what’s shaping up to be a neck-and-neck result between the two parties.
Based on early polling, Labor and the Greens are in line to each win five of the 15 councillor positions up for grabs in the first Inner West Council election.
The Liberals are meanwhile showing strength in some wards, with early figures suggesting the party will grab three seats.
Independents Pauline Lockie and Victoria Pye are also in line to secure positions, with the first time candidates polling well in respective the Stanmore and Marrickville wards.
As of 8pm, Labor’s mayoral candidate Darcy Byrne has the clearest majority across the five wards, with 43 per cent of the first preference vote.
Battleground races include the third seat in Balmain with just 68 votes separating the Liberals and independent John Stamolis.
Independents Victoria Pye and Victor Macri are also in a close race for the third seat in that ward, with 112 votes between them.
It is still early days, but of the 19,744 votes counted Labor is ahead on 6322, followed by the Greens (5939) and the Liberals (2731).
The most number of first preference votes have been counted in the Stanmore ward, led by Greens lead candidate Louise Steer on 2060 votes.
The Greens are also leading in Leichhardt and Marrickville, while Labor is ahead in Ashfield and Balmain.
This page will update.
7PM: COUNTING for the first Inner West Council election is officially underway.
Sausage sizzles, corflutes and queues were familiar sights at residents headed to 53 polling locations at schools and town halls to pick their councillors.
More than 144,000 people were eligible to vote in today’s election — the first since the amalgamation of the former Ashfield, Leichhardt and Marrickville councils.
Counting will determine the three councillors to be elected from five new wards across the region — Ashfield, Balmain, Leichhardt, Marrickville and Stanmore.
Pundits are predicting the Greens and Labor to secure at least one seat in each ward, with the race down to the third spot.
5.30PM: POLITICAL heavyweights have descended on the inner west to drum up support for local candidates running in today’s election.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Federal Member for Grayndler Anthony Albanese, and State MPs including Jenny Leong all hit local booths to speak with voters.
Mr Albanese had choice words for voters at a doorstop in Annandale this morning alongside Labor’s mayoral candidate Darcy Byrne.
“These are critical elections,” Mr Albanese told supporters.
“People are voting and it’s an opportunity to say no to the Berejiklian Government on council amalgamations ... and its mishandling of major infrastructure issues where the community hasn’t been properly consulted.
“We have a State Government that is out of touch that is arrogant and has taken its support for granted”.
In a visit to Concord yesterday, Ms Berejiklian told The Courier the Liberal Party would not use the results of the election to gauge support for the party at state level.
“I think people make a distinction between all levels of government,” she said.
“People vote for different reasons at the local level than they do for State and Federal so I won’t read too much into the results”.
State Newtown Greens MP Jenny Leong was meanwhile outside her electorate today, supporting candidates in the hotly contested ward of Ashfield.
Sydney MP Alex Greenwich and Lord Mayor Clove Moore are backing independents Victoria Pye and Pauline Lockie in the wards of Marrickville and Stanmore.
State Labor Summer Hill MP Jo Haylen was also in Marrickville today, speaking with candidates and local voters
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