Parramatta Council elections: News and voting results

Women are dominating the Parramatta Council election race with plenty of fresh faces ready to represent Sydney’s second city. Find out the latest on the poll.

After serving Parramatta Council for more than 40 years, former mayors Bob Dwyer and Andrew Wilson are out of the race to be re-elected to the chamber, which is seeing a shift in women representing the rapidly developing city.

Councillor and The Small Business Party candidate Andrew Wilson failed to muster enough votes in the Rosehill ward while North Rocks ward hopeful Mr Dwyer has graciously conceded defeat as an independent.

Mr Dwyer, who led the city from 2019 until September when Steven Issa was elected mayor for a brief stint, conceded defeat to rookie councillors Ange Humphries (Labor) and Donna Wang from the Our Local Community.

Mr Dwyer, a former Liberal, ran second on the North Rocks independent ticket and endorsed Georgina Valjak, who was planning to run for the Liberals before the state executive failed to endorse candidates from multiple local government areas including Parramatta and Cumberland.

Parramatta Lord Mayor Bob Dwyer is happy to hand the reigns over to Georgina Valjak in the North Rocks ward. Picture: Angelo Velardo

Andrew Wilson’s time on the council has ended. Picture: Angelo Velardo

Mr Dwyer said Parramatta Council needed more female representation.

“I just think in today’s society women are equal in all aspects of life and obviously it’s been a male domain,’’ he said.

“In federal and state we’ve come a long way but particularly in Parramatta Council, on the Liberal side of politics over the last 20 years, it’s all been male, male male.

“I know from the branches there are talented women around.’’

Votes are still being counted but nine women are on course to securing a spot on the chamber: Donna Davis (Epping, Labor), Lorraine Wearne (Epping, independent), Patricia Prociv (Rosehill, Labor), Michelle Garrard (Dundas, Our Local Community) have secured votes along with newcomers Ange Humphries, (Epping, Labor), Ms Wang (North Rocks, Our Local Community), Ms Valjak (North Rocks, independent), Kellie Darley (Dundas, independent) and potentially Franceska Strano (Rosehill, Greens).

Kellie Darley has won a spot on the Dundas ward.

Ms Humphries, a mother and insurance consultant with a media and marketing background, said the female representation was “encouraging and welcoming but it doesn't really matter”.

“I don’t really read too much into it,’’ she said.

“I think people vote for people based on their policies, not on their gender. I’m not saying it’s not significant — it is significant — but I think it’s about policies and the reality is women led the ticket in most wards.’’

Labor’s Ange Humphries is a new Parramatta councillor for the North Rocks ward.

Georgina Valjak is also a North Rocks representative, as an independent.

If Ms Strano wins a spot on Rosehill, the council could have two Greens representatives, depending if fellow party member Phil Bradley, who was Parramatta’s first Greens councillor, is re-elected in the Parramatta ward.

In total, the 15-seat chamber is shaping up to have six Labor councillors, four independents, two Greens and four Our Local Community representatives but the Parramatta and Rosehill wards are still undecided.

Two of the three Epping councillors are Labor — Cr Davis and newcomer Cameron Maclean, who was Cr Davis’ supporting candidate.

Postal votes continue to be counted.

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