NSW Election 2023: Northern beaches, North Sydney must-win seats as voters headed to ballot box
Northern Beaches mayor Michael Regan has won Wakehurst, making him the first independent candidate to win what was considered a safe Liberal seat.
North Shore
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Final results in Willoughby are not expected to be known for days as counting comes to a close on Saturday night.
As of 9.30pm, independent Larissa Penn is ahead of Liberal Tim James on a narrow 50.48 / 49.52 per cent two preferred lead.
In Lane Cove, Liberal MP Anthony Roberts has extended his lead and is on track to retaining the seat with a two-party preferred lead of 55 per cent.
The seats of North Shore, Wahroonga and Davidson have all been retained by the Liberals.
In the northern beaches, popular mayor Michael Regan has won Wakehurst, with Pittwater too close to call when counting closed on Saturday night as Liberal candidate Rory Amon tries to fight of a challenge from ‘teal’ independent Jacqui Scruby.
Sitting Liberal MP in Manly, James Griffin, was in close contest, but should retain his seat after a robust challenge from ‘teal’ Joeline Hackman.
Is Roberts under threat in Lane Cove?
Veteran Liberal MP Anthony Roberts has secured 43.8 per cent of the vote to Labor’s 24.8 per cent and independents 19.2 per cent as counting continues in Lane Cove.
On a two-party preferred basis, there have been early reports Mr Roberts may not have secured enough of the vote, based on current results, to retain the seat.
But a spokeswoman for the independent campaign said it was “too early to call” the result.
”We’re still in but it’s too early to know at this stage,” she said.
“We always said if we could turn the seat marginal, that would be our major victory.”
Faithful gather
North Shore independent candidate Helen Conway arrives at her post election party in Wollstonecraft pic.twitter.com/P7aZJvyOHp
— David Barwell (@DavidBarwell7) March 25, 2023
North shore teal candidate Helen Conway has arrived to a room full of supporters as counting continues in the seat.
The seat had been tipped as one to watch tonight as Ms Conway challenges sitting Liberal MP Felicity Wilson.
Independent candidate makes history in Wakehurst
Northern Beaches mayor Michael Regan has won Wakehurst, making him the first independent candidate to win what was considered a safe Liberal seat.
Mr Regan, who cited local issues such as the proposed contentious Lizard Rock housing development at Belrose, the privatisation of the local public bus network and the government’s decision to delay the Beaches Link tunnel, attracted more than 51 per cent of the two-party preferred vote.
In Pittwater, Liberal candidate Rory Amon was behind ‘teal’ independent challenger Jacqui Scruby on the two-party preferred vote at 8.20apm, but later took the lead only to be pegged back in late night counting.
“There was a feeling in the community that they were being left behind, that they were not being heard,” Mr Regan said on Saturday night.
“Now, there are a lot of things to do and start fixing.”
Independent candidate ahead in Gladys’s former seat
Early results are suggesting Willoughby Liberal candidate Tim James could be in trouble with independent Larissa James leading the early ballot counting.
Larissa James has secured 55.4 per cent of the two party preferred vote in the seat, formerly held by Gladys Berejiklian, with 8.3 per cent of ballots counted. Liberal Tim James is on 44.6 per cent.
In Lane Cove, Liberal Anthony Roberts is leading the vote with 56.3 per cent of the two party preferred results.
Felicity Wilson is ahead in North Shore at 56.9 per cent, Alister Henskens is ahead in Wahroonga (54.7 per cent), and Tim Cross is ahead in Davidson (67.8 per cent)
Independent Regan ahead in early counting in Wakehurst
The popular Northern Beaches mayor Michael Regan is ahead in early counting in the key northern beaches seat of Wakehurst.
He’s already attracted 51.2pc of the two-party preferred vote, with 13.1pc of the ballots counted.
Liberal candidate Toby Williams had grabbed just 33pc of the primary vote soon after counting started, well down on what the Liberals needed.
There has been a 25pc swing against the Liberals in the seat.
At 7.40pm Mr Regan said the initial figures were encouraging, but “we’re certainly not calling it yet”.
“We’ve won a few booths outright, which is great.”
The independent has won crucial booths at Cromer High School, Beacon Hill Public School and won Wheeler Heights Public School outright.
Retiring Wakehurst MP Brad Hazzard, told Channl 9: “It could be problematic”.
Roberts claims Teals ‘privileged' as he fights for seat
Lane Cove Liberal MP Anthony Roberts said he was feeling “confident” of retaining the seat as he faced a challenge from an independent teal candidate.
The sitting planning minister mingled with voters as he cast his ballot at St Michael’s School at Lane Cove this afternoon.
“The feedback I’m getting is that people are very supportive – it’s up to the people of Lane Cove and they have been very kind to me over the last 20 years,” he said.
Mr Roberts also dismissed the threat of the teal campaign in the electorate, led by independent candidate Victoria Davidson.
“The teals tend to be from a certain demographic and quite privileged,” he said. “When their only policy is to get rid of me, that’s a sad day for democracy.”
‘Hey Rory A’mon’
The Liberal candidate for Pittwater, Northern Beaches councillor Rory Amon, has laughed off an unknown artist’s efforts to change the look of one of his campaign posters by the roadside at Bayview.
It must have taken some time to transform the image of the candidate, who is running in the seat left vacant by the retirement of sitting MP and cabinet Minister Rob Stokes, into a Rastafarian with a liking for a certain vegetable matter.
“This one gets 7/10 for originality (good pun on my last name – haven’t had that one before!),” Mr Amon wrote on his Facebook page. “And 8/10 for forethought (clearly came prepared with the right colours).”
The candidate said ️“these ‘edits’ to my posters are keeping us amused”.
What do voters think?
Integrity, the health system and privatisation were among the issues important to voters on the north shore and northern beaches.
At Greenwich, we spoke to three voters and quizzed two voters at Allambie Heights, to find out what they would like to see from the next state government.
Leesa Feilen said: What I’d like is a bit of stability. I would like change to happen to hospitals in a good way and also investment for public transport and education for our great state. I would also like to focus on internal politics.
Mike Jones said: I think the key word is integrity. I would also like to see balance in the political debate.
Rowan Hayes said: Certainly more support for the health system and also the completion of new infrastructure and transport projects.
In Allambie Heights retiree Andre Volkov, 75, said there should be a halt to the privatisation of public assets.
“After the bus network on the northern beaches was sold to a private company, the service has deteriorated. You wait at the bus stop, but the buses just go past because they are already full. “They’re cutting back on the number of services.
“And the government has to do something about the reliability of the Manly ferries too – they keep breaking down”
Another Wakehurst voter, Rob Wheen, 81, of Allambie Heights, said he had a great priority for any incoming government — tackling climate change.
“It absolutely has to do something on a large scale.
“I’m one-eyed about that.”
Teal challenger ‘goes for the prize’
Teal candidate Helen Conway beat the election day queues by posting her vote in North Sydney on Friday.
Ms Conway – who is contesting the seat of North Shore – said she was feeling confident of her changes in the traditional blue-ribbon Liberal heartland.
“We know having talked to the community in the north shore that they want change,” she said.
In a message to supporters on Saturday morning, Ms Conway said “let’s go for the prize today and let’s have a bit of fun along the way.”
One in four already voted
The booths have opened at polling locations across Sydney’s north as latest figures show almost one in four voters in the region have already had their say.
Data published by the NSW Electoral Commission on Friday night revealed 139,077 early voting ballots were lodged in the 10 electorates across the northern Sydney region – a total of 23.8 per cent of the registered 583,510 voters in the region.
Pittwater has recorded the highest number of early ballots with 30 per cent of eligible residents already voting.
This was followed by Manly (27.4 per cent), Ryde (25.8 per cent), North Shore (25.2 per cent) and Wakehurst (24.7 per cent).
In Willoughby, 23 per cent of ballots have already been lodged, Hornsby had 22.6 per cent, Lane Cove 22.4 per cent, and Wahroonga 18.5 per cent.
The large number of pre-polls could slow down the final count after polls close as pre-poll voters aren’t traditionally counted on Saturday.
Independent challenger in Wakehurst declares himself ‘underdog’
Popular Northern Beaches mayor Michael Regan, making a tilt as an independent candidate at grabbing the safe Liberal northern beaches seat of Wakehurst, said he was still the “underdog” when meeting voters at Narraweena Public School on Saturday morning.
Mr Regan, who is in with a chance of paring back the 21pc margin built up by veteran retiring MP Brad Hazzard, is up against Liberal Toby Williams, who turns 29 on Sunday.
“People here are nice and positive” he said while handing out his how to vote flyers.
“It’s early in the morning, everyone’s happy to be here, to a certain degree. The vibe’s positive, which is good and makes you feel better.
“But you worry about every vote.
“I’m the underdog here. I’m nervous as all get out.”
Wakehurst Liberal candidate gets high profile support
Toby Williams, who is trying to hold on to the safe Liberal seat of Wakehurst after the retirement of popular former local MP and recent NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard, voted at Allambie Heights Public School on Saturday morning.
Liberal candidate for Wakehurst, Toby Williams, arrives at Allambie Heights public school on Saturday with his former boss and retiring local MP Brad Hazzard. pic.twitter.com/yPbgqTELTS
— Jim O'Rourke (@JimORourke6) March 24, 2023
Mr Williams worked as Mr Hazzard’s senior electorate officer and is hoping to replace him in parliament and the end of counting tonight.
He had his former boss with him when he arrived at the school to vote and ask locals for their support.
“I’m feeling absolutely fantastic,” Mr Williams said. “It’s a good day to vote Liberal, more jobs, more infrastructure, keeping NSW moving forward.”
The candidate conceded he had “big shoes to fill” after Mr Hazzard’s retirement.
“Brad’s done an excellent job for 32 years. I’m going to do a better job as the next member for Wakehurst. No, Brad’s been fantastic.”
Mr Hazzard said he had been up since 4am and had visited several booths before 10am.
“It’s a really good feeling today,” Mr Hazzard said.
Earlier Mr Williams; father, Manly Sea Eagles NRL great Darrell Williams, was handing out how to vote cards for his son at Narraweena Public School.
“Toby was keen to follow on Brad Hazzard’s heels and get into parliament so he can work hard to get things done in the community,’ Darrell Williams said.
“He’s always been keen to do things for other people.”
‘Strange bedfellows’
An interesting image has emerged of three high-profile politicians on the northern beaches — albeit one of them a former pollie — getting their photo taken by a voters at Forestville Public School today.
The independent candidate for Wakehurst — the current Northern Beaches Mayor — Michael Regan, chatted with the federal independent “teal” MP for Mackellar, Sophie Scamps, who has thrown her support behind Mr Regan, and Liberal Party royalty and former PM and ex-MP for Warringah, Tony Abbott.
Manly ‘teal’ independent votes after poster row resolved
A potentially tricky row over election campaign posters between the ‘teal’ independent candidate for Manly, Joeline Hackman, and sitting Liberal MP, James Griffin, has been resolved.
The Liberals complained to the NSW Electoral Commission that posters put up by Ms Hackman and her supporter, Climate 200, stating “Don’t risk a wasted vote. Number every box on the short ballot paper” were misleading voters by telling voters they risked “wasting” their vote if they did not number every box on the ballot paper.
The Liberals had been displaying posters in Manly and Pittwater — another seat targeted by a teal — that stated voters can “just vote one” if they wanted to.
“The Liberals’ signs are intentionally designed to deceive voters by looking like official communications from the NSW Electoral Commission,” Ms Hackman said.
The 'teal’ independent candidate in Pittwater, Jacqui Scruby, said that she and Ms Hackman were calling for a return to full preferential voting.
In a joint statement both independents said that if they were elected and hold the balance of power, “abolishing the undemocratic optional preferential voting system” would be a priority.
“Never again must the people of NSW be denied their full democratic rights. Our
communities very well could wake up on Sunday to local representatives that the
majority of them do not want, thanks to the outdated, undemocratic optional preferential
voting system.”
The Electoral Commission has ruled that both posters are okay.
What’s expected
It’s shaping up to be a series of interesting — and potentially close — contests in northern beaches and North Sydney electorates at today’s state election.
The seats, Manly, Pittwater and Wakehurst, are all currently held by Liberal MPs and considered safe seats for the conservatives.
Big queues formed soon after the polling booth opened at Narraweena public school this morning as independent candidate for Wakehurst, Michael Regan worked the line. pic.twitter.com/xqOhO5o5ek
— Jim O'Rourke (@JimORourke6) March 24, 2023
But the retirements of two current government veterans, Brad Hazzard in Wakehurst and Rob Stokes in Pittwater, and a concerted push by independent candidates in all three seats, has thrown the door open to possible upsets when votes are tallied on March 25.
Climate 200-backed community independent ‘teals’ are campaigning hard in Manly (Joeline Hackman) and Pittwater (Jacqui Scruby), taking advantage of the popularity of the local federal teals, Zali Steggall and Sophie Scamps.
In Sydney’s north shore, a mix of familiar faces and first-time candidates have put their hands up in what is shaping up to be a race between incumbent Liberal MPs and challenges from Labor, Greens and independent candidates.
NSW Liberal leader Dominic Perrottet, alongside wife Helen, daughter Celeste and candidate Felicity Wilson, made a surprise appearance on election eve at pre-polling centres in Willoughby and North Shore.
Many of the candidates have named action on cost of living, overdevelopment, healthcare and climate change among their key priorities.
On the lower north shore, two independent ‘teal’ candidates backed by political funding body Climate 200 are challenging the Liberal strongholds of Lane Cove and North Shore.
In Willoughby, sitting Liberal MP Tim James is facing a challenge from prominent independent Larissa James who at last year’s election secured almost 47 per cent of two-candidate preferred votes.
Many NSW voters have already made up their mind and cast their vote – the latest figures from the NSW Electoral Commission show, as of 9am on Friday, a record 1.2 million people had already voted at prepoll booths.
NewsLocal have done some of the legwork for you – talking to candidates across the state to learn a bit more about their stances, views and background. From the Tweed to Bega, from Sydney’s eastern suburbs to Dubbo: we’ve compiled the candidates standing in your local seat.
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