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Six Councillors Secured as Election Counting Continues

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15 September 2024, 12:48 AM

Six Councillors Secured as Election Counting Continues

Counting in the Hawkesbury Local Council elections shows the Liberal Party taking an early, as expected lead, but the final make-up of Council remains uncertain with more votes yet to be tallied. According to the NSW Electoral Commission, the Liberals (Group I) have secured 28.08% of the formal votes, with 7,449 first-preference votes, positioning them ahead of their competitors. In the 2021 Hawkesbury Council elections the Liberal Party secured 34.38% of first preference votes.


The Shooters, Fishers, and Farmers Party (SFF) (Group F), led by Shane Djuric, follows with 12.23% of the vote. Close behind are the Labor Party (ALP) (Group C), led by Amanda Kotlash, and independent groups led by Mary Lyons-Buckett (Group B) and Nathan Zamprogno (Group H), with each capturing around 11% of the formal votes counted. The Greens (Group A) have garnered 9.69%, while smaller independent groups (Groups D, E, and G), along with the Small Business Party (SBP) led by Eddie Dogramachi, have seen more modest support.


One issue causing confusion is the significant informal vote rate, reported at 19.98%, due to the grouping of informal votes with "Other Votes" under the same heading. The NSW Electoral Commission explains that “Informal votes” are excluded from the final tally, but “Other Votes” may be included, depending on their classification. This contributes to the high percentage of informal and other votes. The Commission’s website clarifies that "For candidates marked with an asterisk, their formal Below The Line votes are included in the 'Total Informal/Other Votes' figure." The category also includes unclear or incomplete ballot papers, which will undergo a recheck during the count.


With a progressive quota of 2,041 and votes still being counted, the final makeup of the council remains unclear. However, candidates who have unofficially secured a seat in the new council include Sarah McMahon, Shane Djuric, Mike Creed, Mary Lyons-Buckett, Nathan Zamprogno, Danielle Wheeler, and Amanda Kotlash. There are 12 councillor positions on the Hawkesbury City Council.