Derwent Valley mayor decided by 25 votes

THE Derwent Valley community was almost evenly split on choice of mayor — with only 25 votes deciding the outcome.

New Derwent Valley mayor Ben Shaw with daughters L-R Caitlin and Emily at New Norfollk in September. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

A HANDFUL of votes have decided the new mayor of the Derwent Valley, with the community almost evenly split on choice of leader.

Ben Shaw has been elected as Derwent Valley mayor with a margin of only 25 votes ahead of his closest rival Paul Belcher.

The tight contest marks one of the closest margins in local government history, but it is a fair way off the smallest margin.

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Tasmanian Electoral Commissioner Andrew Hawkey said the closest poll was eight years ago in Launceston, when MLC Rosemary Armitage lost out on becoming mayor by only three votes.

He said the Derwent Valley counts had been recounted Wednesday after the first count Tuesday night, and the margin remained certain enough to declare Cr Shaw mayor.

“There was a recheck done today [Wednesday] and the returning officer was confident there was a sufficient margin,” he said.

After the distribution of preferences, Cr Shaw ended up with 2,004 votes (50.31 per cent), compared with Cr Belcher’s 1,979 votes (49.69 votes).

New Derwent Valley mayor Ben Shaw, left, and the councillor he edged out, Paul Belcher, at the 2018 Bushy Park Show. Photo by Damian Bester

Cr Shaw, who is incumbent deputy mayor, said the even split in votes mirrored a sentiment in the community.

He said his rival, Cr Belcher, campaigned on the “basics” of rates, rubbish and roads, while he went for a big-picture approach about the municipality’s redefined identity after the collapse of many traditional industries.

“I fully went one way and Paul fully went the other way. The challenge now is: how do we keep all those people happy?”

Cr Shaw said he wanted to look ahead to the future in tourism, and capitalise on natural assets such as the River Derwent and Mount Field.

He said it seemed the Derwent Valley had lost its identity after the downturn in the region’s traditional jobs with forestry, Hydro and at Willow Court.

“We’re now finding our identity again.”

Cr Shaw becomes the Derwent Valley’s youngest mayor, at age 35.

Cr Belcher said he accepted the counting, despite the close margin.

“I won’t be asking for a recount, I’m happy to let it roll,” Cr Belcher said.