NSW Local Government Elections 2017: Randwick Council results

FROM accusations of dodgy tricks to the all important democracy sausage, find out how yesterday’s local government elections went in Randwick.

Council Election at Randwick Public School, Saturday, 9 September, 2017.

TENS of thousands of residents rolled up to take part in shaping the future of the Randwick Local Government Area yesterday.

All nine of the current councillors who chose to recontest look set to return to local government.

But with six new faces has come a swing away from the Liberal Party and two of its six seats on Randwick Council are predicted to go.

Both major parties have ultimately suffered a blow, with independent candidates racking up three seats and another three to be bagged by The Greens.

More than half of the votes in the south ward have now been counted and at this stage the independent ticket is flying ahead of the rest.

Independent candidate and current mayor Noel D’Souza will rejoin the council, despite separating from the Labor Party in May.

“With Labor I only got 46 per cent. This time it’s 54 per cent — it’s the people saying enough is enough of factions and being manipulated by the big parties.”

He’ll be joined by a second independent, Carlos Da Rocha, after voters turned their backs on both the Liberal and Labor Party.

Waverley Council Ranger Carlos Da Rocha.

Randwick Mayor Noel D'Souza

“With Carlos in council it will be a great renaissance, he’ll be our moral compass and we’ll all have to recalibrate our own compasses.”

Mr Da Rocha said he will keep on doing what he’s been doing for nearly two decades.

“That is, being an advocate and support the people. I want to listen and I want to learn,” he said.

“Everything I’ve ever done has been about community first so nothing is going to change with that.”

Over to the Central Ward and 25-year-old Dylan Parker, who currently works as a staffer for NSW Labor MP Michael Daley, is a shoe in for a seat.

He is likely to be joined by independent Anthony Andrews and Liberal’s Ted Sen, both current Randwick Councillors.

There were long lines all day at Randwick Public School.

In the east, all three current councillors — Labor’s Tony Bowen, Liberal’s Brendan Roberts and The Greens’ Murray Matson — are in good stead to return to the chambers.

Cr Bowen said he was ecstatic with the result, following a 5.5 per cent swing to Labor.

“I’m really happy, that’s a big jump.”

“It’s a complete vindication of our community’s opposition to amalgamation and I’m delighted our community got to have the election that was going to be denied to them.”

Cr Roberts said he was pleased with the overall number of votes which had gone to Liberal, despite the swing suffered against the party.

“We’re proud of our campaign. They ran a false scare campaign against high rises,” he said.

“Clearly though no one has a majority at all.

“You’ll have to be a pretty good crystal ball gazer to predict what’s going to happen in terms of the mayoralty and in terms of alignment.”

In the west, Harry Stavrinos will return for the Liberal Party, but with Labor’s Greg Moore and the Liberal Party’s Scott Nash choosing not to recontest, the last two seats could go to Labor newcomer Alexandra Luxford and The Greens’ Philipa Veitch.

Former naval officer Christie Hamilton has sailed to victory in the north ward, with the Liberal Party picking up 34 per cent of the vote so far.

Christie Hamilton talking with a voter in the north ward.

She is likely to be joined by recontesting councillors, Labor’s Kathy Neilson and The Greens’ Lindsay Shurey.

Ultimately each ward will be made up of three councillors.

Earlier today there was plenty of action at the polling booths, from maverick electioneering stunts, to bold candidates attempting to woo voters as they waited in line.

Makeshift corflutes, which appeared to be unaffiliated to a political party, read “Save the trees, put Liberals last” — but looks can be deceiving.

The homemade looking corflute had some confused who it belonged to.

Former ALP mayor Paul Tracey was behind the black and white signs.

Meanwhile Maroubra MP Michael Daley was accused of using his parliamentary printing budget to help one of his staff get elected in the central ward.

Mr Daley sent a letter to his electorate earlier this week calling on residents to “send the Liberals a message to stop overdevelopment”.

Staffer Dylan Parker, who is number one on the Labor ticket in the ward, said it was a legitimate move.

“It’s standard practice for MPs to communicate with their constituents on a timely issue effecting their community,” he said.

“Members of the community were very upset about overdevelopment.”

But Deputy mayor and Liberal Party member Brendan Roberts said that while it was legal, it “didn’t pass the pub test”.

“Certainly not the Maroubra Bay Hotel test.”

Democracy sausages all day.

Elsewhere Greens councillor Murray Matson said he believed voters would be less than impressed by gimmicks.

Murray Matson at Coogee Oval’s voting booth.

Independent Stuart Khan

“The response I’ve got clearly indicates to me that the voters don’t want negative policies, they don’t want negative criticism about other candidates, they want positive policies.

“We have a renewal energy target for the council that we want to reach. I’ve been telling people that, they’ve been responding well to that.”

Two independent tickets dominated the north ward today, with six candidates vying for a seat.

Independent candidate for the Save Randwick Party Richard Howarth.

Stuart Khan’s campaign to improve water quality was met with approval by voters waiting in line while independent for the Save Randwick Party Richard Howarth was touting tougher rules for developers.

Stay tuned for rolling coverage.