Deadline looms in mayoral races in Glenorchy, Kingborough and West Coast councils

There are less than three days until polls close in the local government by-elections brought on by the resignation of three mayors, but fewer than half of the ratepayers have cast a vote.

WITH just days remaining until polls close for three local government by-elections, ratepayers in Glenorchy, Kingborough and the West Coast are being urged to cast their ballots.

Following the resignation of Glenorchy mayor Kristie Johnston, Kingborough mayor Dean Winter and West Coast mayor Phil Vickers, dual by-elections were called for each municipality, meaning vacancies for both the mayor and a councillor needed to be filled.

As of Friday night, 44.1 per cent of Glenorchy electors had returned their ballots, while 42.5 per cent of Kingborough electors and 54.5 per cent of West Coast electors had returned theirs.

Polls close at 2pm on Tuesday.

Tasmanian Electoral Commissioner Andrew Hawkey said it was now too late for people to post their completed ballots and that they would instead need to drop them into their local council office.

“They’ll have ballot boxes in those offices where you can drop them straight in and they’ll be guaranteed to get to the returning officer in time, whereas in the post it may not do,” he said.

“We know that councils are already receiving quite a few (ballots) that have been hand-delivered. So we’re hopeful that our return rates will be not too far away from a normal statewide election.”

During the 2018 statewide local government elections, Kingborough’s return rate was 57 per cent and the West Coast’s was 64 per cent. Glenorchy, meanwhile, held its election earlier than other councils that year, and recorded a return rate of 54 per cent.

Mayoral hopeful denies Liberal Party support

GLENORCHY Alderman Bec Thomas has rejected suggestions her mayoral campaign has the backing of the Liberals, stressing she is not a member of any political party and is a “staunch” independent.

The government has denied it is tacitly supporting Ald Thomas’s campaign, as former Liberal MP Sue Hickey also vies for the position.

Glenorchy mayor hopefuls line up

Glenorchy alderman defends council’s handling of McGill Rise

Ald Thomas, currently the acting mayor of Glenorchy and a former adviser to Ms Hickey, has attended five government media conferences since she announced her candidacy on June 1, appearing in photos posted on government members’ Facebook pages – including those of Premier Peter Gutwein and Education Minister Sarah Courtney.

The events she attended included announcements about the Glenorchy Jobs Hub and public transport.

Acting Glenorchy Mayor Bec Thomas with Transport Minister Michael Ferguson, left, and Clarence Mayor Doug Chipman in the 100th locally produced Metro bus at Moonah. Picture: Chris Kidd

Ms Thomas told the Sunday Tasmanian she had also attended a range of other meetings and events with “representatives of all political persuasions” during this time.

“It is common courtesy and a sign of strong relationships to invite the relevant mayor to government announcements in their municipal area,” she said.

“The government is not supporting my campaign for mayor, in any capacity. I have personally planned, managed and fully funded my own campaign.

“I consider myself a staunch independent who is willing and able to work constructively with a range of stakeholders, regardless of their political persuasion.

“As a former adviser to the member for Clark and Speaker of the House of Assembly (Sue Hickey), I had regular contact with fellow advisers and parliamentarians and got to know some of them quite well, as we worked together to achieve positive outcomes for the community.”

Acting Glenorchy mayor Bec Thomas outside the council chambers. Picture: Chris Kidd

Ms Hickey, who lost her seat at the May 1 state election after sensationally quitting the Liberal Party, said she had been “made aware” of the government’s “overt support for one candidate”.

“Glenorchy wants a mayor who puts the interests of the city and its people first and foremost and not one who is beholden to the state government or any political party,” Ms Hickey said.

“In any case, all governments both state and local should be working with each other, irrespective of political affiliations, for the benefit of the community.

“The ratepayers of Glenorchy will make their own judgments as to who is best to provide the necessary leadership and should not be influenced in any other way.”

Glenorchy mayoral hopeful Sue Hickey. Picture: Chris Kidd

A government spokesperson said it wasn’t unusual that Ms Thomas had been invited to so many events in the space of a month.

“As the acting mayor of Glenorchy, Ms Thomas is invited to events that involve her municipality,” the spokesperson said. “This is the same arrangement that is afforded to any other local mayor.”

A by-election for Glenorchy was called after former mayor Kristie Johnston resigned following her election to state parliament.

Hickey gets hands dirty cleaning up McGill Rise

It’s often said that politics is a dirty business – and no-one knows that better than Glenorchy mayoral candidate Sue Hickey, who has spent a day cleaning up litter at Claremont’s notorious McGill Rise subdivision.

Ms Hickey, the former Speaker of the House of Assembly and Hobart Mayor, paid a visit to the ill-fated development on Thursday, picking up rubbish strewn across the site.

Last month, the Mercury revealed that eight out of 22 homes in the subdivision had to be vacated, due to the Glenorchy City Council saying that an audit had found they were uninhabitable, with the potential for heavy rains to collapse embankments and potentially harm or kill residents.

Glenorchy City Council mayoral candidate Sue Hickey cleaning up rubbish at McGill Rise in Claremont. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Ms Hickey said the development was riddled with rubbish (including toilet paper, dirty nappies and rotten food), the weeds were “out of control”, there were letterboxes “stuffed” with mail and numerous bins had blown over and were scattered across the site.

“(It’s) not fair to the neighbours,” she said.

“The council should come and take away the rubbish bins because they’re just dangerous by themselves. They’re full of water.

“There’s a lot of people up here … who don’t feel they’re being listened to.”

The state government’s Consumer, Building and Occupational Services has begun disciplinary action against the building service providers involved in the development.