Northern Beaches Council election: Libs grab poll position on ballot papers

The official draw for prime positions on the Northern Beaches Council election ballot papers has been completed. See where the candidates ended up.

Places on the ballot papers for next month’s Northern Beaches Council election have been decided with the Liberal Party grabbing poll position.

After a draw by election officials on Monday, the Libs are placed in the sought after “A” position — on the left edge of the ballot papers — in two of the five council wards to be contested.

Candidates in the A position can benefit from the so-called “donkey vote” — where voters simply follow the order in which candidates’ names appear on the ballot paper.

Two of the Greens' candidates for the Northern Beaches Council election on December 4, Ethan Hrnjak and Miranda Korzy, at the NSW Electoral Commission’s ballot draw at Belrose on Thursday. Picture: Jim O'Rourke

There will be five separate ballot papers for the five wards — each with a about 36,000 registered voters.

For the December 4 election, 73 candidates have nominated to contest the election for the 15 seats on the council.

The Liberal candidates for Frenchs Forest ward, topped by current councillor Stuart Sprott, have an A spot.

And in Manly, with a young the Lib Georgia Ryburn topping their candidate list, the Liberal Party will also be on the left side of that ballot paper.

In other wards, The Greens grabbed top spot on the ballot paper in Pittwater while the Labor Party, which does not have a representative on the current council, has the A spot in Curl Curl.

Campaign material from Liberal Georgia Ryburn, who has the top spot on the ballot paper for the Manly ward. Picture: Supplied.

Mayor Michael Regan’s Your Northern Beaches Independent Team has drawn the A spot in Narrabeen ward.

At the last election in 2017 the team of independents led by Mr Regan grabbed six seats, the Liberals five, deputy mayor Candy Bingham, under the banner Good for Manly, had one, The Greens grabbed a seat and two were won by independents.

Labor missed out, but they has put forward nine candidates across three of the five wards this time round.

“I’m very happy to be drawn out first and selected in the A spot,” Mr Sprott said on Thursday.

“It’s a great result for me.

Northern Beaches Council Liberal candidate Stuart Sprott was happy with his “A” spot on the ballot paper. Picture: Adam Yip/ Manly Daily

“But local government is the closest thing people get to have a say how their community is run and managed, so it’s more important to have a good candidate than just to have a good position on the ballot paper.

“I would hope voters take the time to do bit of research and look at the candidate’s achievements before they vote for them.”

Prior to the ballot draw at the NSW Electoral Commission office at Belrose, Mr Regan said that the council was “in excellent shape’ despite the impact of Covid lockdowns

“Everyone thinks we did a great job during Covid, we brought the community together and we want to keep that moving forward and we want to keep giving the local decision making back to locals.

Northern Beaches Mayor Michael Regan is running as an independent under his Your Northern Beaches independent Team. Picture: Supplied.

“I think the council is in excellent shape. It’s well regarded as a high performing council in NSW Government circles.

“We’ve been able to weather the Covid storm.

“We’ve delivered surplus budgets, pre and post Covid and continued to invest in basic infrastructure … a $125 million spend this year.”

When asked if he was confident he would retain the mayoral seat — voted by the councillors and not the public — Mr Regan said: “You’re never confident”.

He said he’d rather have a popularly elected mayor, but “you work with whoever’s there, like we do know”.

The Greens Miranda Korzy, top of the ballot paper for Pittwater, said affordable housing would be one of the key issues at the election.

“We need real homes, where people can live, feel comfortable, have a family and not dog boxes.”

For those who want to vote early, seven pre-poll stations will be set up in the local government area from Monday, November 22 to Friday 3 December 2021. Any person enrolled to vote may vote by pre-poll, but people cannot do absentee votes from other council areas.

LINKS TO SOME OF THE CANDIDATES SO FAR …

GOOD FOR MANLY ELECTION CANDIDATES

MANLY 1ST – YOUR VOICE FOR MANLY

YOUR NORTHERN BEACHES INDEPENDENT TEAM

A LOOK AT THE LABOR CANDIDATES ON PENINSULA

LIBERAL CANDIDATES ON THE NORTHERN BEACHES

For information on all the candidates click here.

The pre-poll voting stations opening on November 22 are:

Avalon Recreation Centre, Mona Vale Memorial Hall, South Narrabeen Surf Life Saving Club, Dee Why Salvation Army Hall, St Matthews Anglican Church at Manly, Warringah Mall Community Room, and the Northern Beaches Returning Officer’s office at 13B Narabang Way at Belrose.