Northern Beaches gets new mayor after Michael Regan steps down to concentrate on being NSW MP

A woman will wear the mayoral chains on the Northern Beaches Council for the first time after a tight vote for the top job on Tuesday night.

Sue Heins, a member of the Your Northern Beaches Independents team, has been voted in as the new mayor of the Northern Beaches at a special council meeting on Tuesday night. Picture: Jim O'Rourke

A women has been voted for the first time as mayor of the Northern Beaches Council.

Sue Heins was chosen by her fellow councillors for the top job at a specially convened meeting on Tuesday night.

Cr Heins is only the second mayor the council has had since it was created seven years ago when Manly, Warringah and Pittwater councils were forcefully amalgamated by the previous Coalition state government.

A new head of the council was needed after longstanding mayor Michael Regan officially resigned the post on Tuesday night.

Michael Regan, outside NSW Parliament House where he will serve as the new MP for Wakehurst. He has stepped down as mayor, but will stay on the council until the next local government elections. Picture; Facebook (Michael Regan MP)

Mr Regan, who will stay on as a councillor until the next local government elections in 2024, has said he wanted to stand aside after winning the former blue ribbon Liberal seat of Wakehurst — as an independent — at the March 25 state election.

Cr Heins, who was deputy mayor and a member of Mr Regan’s “Your Northern Beaches Independents” nominated along with independent and Manly Ward councillor, Candy Bingham and Liberal David Walton.

The three nominees for the mayoral vote on Tuesday night were (left to right) Sue Heins, Candy Bingham and Dave Walton. Pictures: Supplied

Cr Bingham was knocked out in the first round of voting, gaining four votes.

Then Cr Heins, who has served three terms on the council and has been deputy mayor three times, won the ballot with Cr Walton by the slimmest of margins — eight votes to seven.

The new mayor, a former president of the Warringah Chamber of Commerce and founder of “Inspiring Women”, a group that promotes connectivity for women in business on the northern beaches, said she was honoured to be the first women to wear the mayoral chains.

“I look forward to having a good look at the office of mayor, how it works, working with the community and seeing what value can be brought.

“It’s fabulous (being voted in as first female mayor).

“We now have a majority of female councillors out of the 15.”

Cr Sue Heins is thrilled there will be nine women on Northern Beaches Council. Picture: Supplied.

On Tuesday night before he handed his resignation letter to the acting CEO Louise Kerr, Cr Regan thanked council staff and his family for supporting him through his time as mayor.

“Just like tha,t my term as mayor comes to and end.

“Retired, 15 (years as mayor of Warringah and Northern Beaches councils) not out”, the self-confessed cricket tragic said at the end of his farewell address.

Under the Local Government Act, Cr Regan can remain a councillor for two years or until the next local government election in September 2024, whichever occurs first.

After the mayoral vote, two-term Liberal councillor Rory Amon handed in his resignation from the council.

Mr Amon said he wanted to concentrate on his new duties as the new state MP for Pittwater.

He told the council that it had been a “honour and a privilege” to work for the ratepayers in the Pittwater and Narrabeen wards.

Karina Page is set to take the vacancy left by former councillor Rory Amon. Picture: Supplied

As a result of Mr Amon’s resignation, Liberal Karina Page is set to replace him as a Pittwater Ward representative on the council, based on a local government election countback. Ms Page was second on Mr Amon’s ticket at the December 2021 council elections.

Ms Page, who lives at Mona Vale, served on Manly Council from 1996 to 2003.