Nine of the twelve available seats on the Hawkesbury Council have been filled, with three Liberal Party candidates securing their positions. Former Mayor Sarah McMahon, Mike Creed, and Jill Reardon will represent the Liberals, while Amanda Kotlash returns to the chamber for Labor. Independent councillors Mary Lyons-Buckett and Nathan Zamprogno have also been re-elected with substantial increases in their margin, as did Shane Djuric from the Shooters, Fishers, and Farmers Party. Greens Councillor Danielle Wheeler also increased her vote and will return to the chamber while Small Business Party’s Eddie Dogramaci will also return for another term. 

The final tally is expected to be known before the week starting September 30, 2024.

With 31,361 formal votes counted so far and 7,889 informal votes bringing the total to 39,053, several candidates have taken to social media to express their gratitude for the support received during the election. However, the announcement has not been without controversy. 

Sarah McMahon, re-elected with the Liberal Party, thanked her supporters but made extraordinary allegations of a campaign to smear her reputation. In a Facebook post, McMahon accused members of the community and journalists of waging a “coordinated effort” to “damage, humiliate, and hurt” her reputation. She claimed that lies had been spread across local Facebook groups but did not provide details of the alleged falsehoods.

“Thank you to everyone who could see through the biased and cruel agenda of the local activist group who call themselves journalists, backed by a small group who viciously spread propaganda throughout local Facebook groups in a coordinated effort to damage, humiliate, and hurt my reputation almost daily,” McMahon wrote on Facebook.

McMahon’s comments follow a difficult few months, as she is set to appear at Windsor Local Court on Thursday in connection with an alleged domestic violence incident against her ex-boyfriend, Matthew Bennett. McMahon was arrested in July after police found her inside Bennett’s business premises, also accessed his computer. According to the Police Incident Report (PIR) McMahon was searching for evidence of Bennett having an affair. She is currently subject to an interim apprehended violence order (AVO), while she has also lodged her own counter-claims of domestic violence against Bennett. Bennett is also the subject of an interim AVO.

Other re-elected councillors focused on the future. Greens Councillor Danielle Wheeler posted her thanks on Facebook, expressing optimism about a “more productive term” ahead. Independent Mary Lyons-Buckett praised voters who took the election seriously, taking a swipe at those who complain but don’t vote responsibly. Nathan Zamprogno, who saw a significant increase in his margin, pledged to continue working hard for the community, emphasising the importance of focusing on local issues over party politics.

As the remaining three councillors are yet to be confirmed, the final balance of power in the new Council remains unclear, but the stage is set for what promises to be an eventful new term.