Parramatta councillor Lorraine Wearne withdraws from 2024 council elections

It’s the end of an era after Sydney’s first female Lord Mayor confirmed she would not contest the council elections after almost three decades in civic duty. It comes as a Labor councillor quit the party.

Epping independent councillor Lorraine Wearne is departing the job.

Sydney’s first woman to become a Lord Mayor has pulled out of the race to contest the Parramatta local government elections on September 14, marking the end of an era for independent Lorraine Wearne.

The Epping ward councillor for Parramatta was elected in 1995 and served as the Lord Mayor from 2000 and 2001, and 2011-12.

She was the first woman to become a Lord Mayor of a Sydney council four years before Clover Moore took the top job for the City of Sydney.

Cr Wearne was the second female Lord Mayor to helm a NSW council after the late Joy Cummings claimed the title in 1974.

Cr Wearne, 77, cited health challenges experienced by her and her husband for withdrawing from the race despite expressing an intention to stand again last month.

Lorraine Wearne in 2000 when she became Parramatta Lord Mayor.

The Epping resident of more than 50 years named the acquisition of the Boronia Grove Community Centre and the successful fight for no paid parking in the suburb among her best achievements in civic duty.

She asked for privacy around her health battles but said the stress of campaigning would be a burden.

“Besides, I get to be a full time grandmother before my grandchildren reach 21,’’ she said.

Running first on her ticket for Lorraine Wearne Independents will be newcomer Charles Chen who is vying to win a spot on the council for the northwestern ward.

The news comes as Labor councillor Paul Noack quit the party after he failed to win preselection when Patricia Prociv eclipsed him “resoundingly” for the Rosehill ward.

Cr Noack, of Wentworth Point, will now run against his former Labor colleague in the ward as an independent.

“I think people are getting a bit sick of the two big parties in the campaign,’’ he said.

“I think people are sick and disgusted the ALP has not supported me.’’

Paul Noack (second from left) has slammed Labor. Picture: John Appleyard

He pointed out he is the first and only Wentworth Point resident to represent Parramatta Council or the former Auburn local government areas.

Back at the Epping camp, incumbent Cameron Maclean was declared the ALP candidate over perennial hopeful and journalist Alan Mascarenhas after the tussle was so tight his name had to be drawn from a hat because votes were locked at nine each.

“I was profoundly nervous right up to the result,’’ Cr Maclean said.

“These contests are extremely hard but it could have gone the other way.’’

The unlucky Mr Mascarenhas, who was also a political adviser and was the unsuccessful state Labor candidate for Epping in 2019, conceded defeat.

“It’s the luck of the draw but that’s politics and I’ll be supporting Cameron,’’ he said.

Alan Mascarenhas. Picture: Adam Yip

Cameron Maclean was tied with Alan Mascarenhas in the preselection race.

At the Parramatta ward, former councillor Prabir Maitra was understood to be leading the preselection race but former mayor Sameer Pandey has trumped him to be the lead ALP candidate.

A win for Parramatta District Cricket Club’s Mr Maitra would have been a crushing blow for Cr Pandey who lost the state poll as the Winston Hills ALP candidate in 2023.

Labor’s North Rocks incumbent Ange Humphries will not recontest the poll because of urgent neck surgery.

“After months of living with a painful neck following an accident, the timing of the surgery – and the seven weeks of post operation rehabilitation – is smack bang in the campaign,” she said.

Cr Humphries’ withdrawal means artist Hayley Megan French is likely to become the Labor candidate for the North Rocks ward.

Anthony Ellard was preselected unchallenged for the Dundas ward which Lord Mayor Pierre Esber will depart when he retires after 25 years in the chamber.

After a three-year absence, the Liberals will return to Parramatta Council this year with

Steven Issa (Rosehill ward) Martin Zaiter (Parramatta) Sreeni Pillamarri (Epping), Tanya Raffoul (Dundas) and Georgina Valjak (North Rocks) to battle it out.

Nominations close for all parties on Wednesday.