Election Results

By BEV JORDAN

Final results from the Local Government Elections will be officially declared next week as postal votes continue to be counted and preferences allocated as there are still a few seats to be decided.

In the Hawkesbury LGA 48,349 voters had a choice of 79 candidates for 12 seats with eight Independent Groups and one ungrouped Independent standing against the major parties.

Former councillor for 20 years Les Sheather (Independent) from Ebenezer collected a seat after his Independent group polled 7.3% of the vote and The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party (7.1%) picked up a seat with Shane Djuric from Pitt Town elected.

The Liberal Group picked up the biggest portion of votes with 34.7% of those counted. Liberal councillors to return are: Sarah Richards and Patrick Conolly who will be joined by Paul Veigel and Jill Reardon.

Sitting Independent councillors voted back are: Nathan Zamprogno (8.3%) and Mary Lyons-Bucket (9.8%). Labor picked up 12.1% of the vote returning Barry Calvert to council and The Greens (7.2%) will see Danielle Wheeler returned to council.

Two seats are still undecided. The Mayor is elected by the councillors. In The Hills LGA one seat is still undecided.

There was a swing against the Liberals but the party secured 60.4% of the vote across the four wards securing eight of the 12 seats on The Hills Shire Council. Liberal candidate for Mayor Peter Gangemi was also elected.

Labor gained a seat on the three wards it stood candidates in with sitting councillors Ryan Tracey returning for East Ward and Tony Hay returning for Central Ward. Former Labor councillor Barbara Burton gained a seat on thecouncil to represent West Ward.

The eight Liberal councillors are: sitting councillors Frank De Masi (West Ward) and Reena Jethi (East Ward), Jerome Cox (East), Jessica Brazier and Mark Hodges (Central); Rosemarie Boneham (West) and Virginia Ellis and Mitchell Blue (North).

The undecided seat is in North Ward where the seat could go to either the Liberal’s Rory O’Connor or Dr Mila Kasby from The Greens.