Wikipedia

2017 Central Coast Council election

Main article: 2017 New South Wales local elections

The 2017 Central Coast Council election was held on 9 September 2017 to elect 15 councillors to Central Coast Council. The election was held as part of the statewide local government elections in New South Wales, Australia.[1]

2017 Central Coast Council election
← 2012 (Gosford)
← 2012 (Wyong)		 9 September 2017 2024 →
All 15 seats on Central Coast Council
8 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
IND
Party Labor Liberal Independents
Last election 5 seats 6 seats 6 seats
Seats won 6 4 3
Seat change Increase 1 Decrease 2 Decrease 3
Popular vote 57,265 46,751 32,279
Percentage 30.2% 24.7% 17.0%
Swing Increase 7.0 Decrease 6.5 Decrease 12.6
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
NEW
STL
Party NEW Inds. Greens STL
Last election Did not exist 1 seat 2 seats
Seats won 2 0 0
Seat change Increase 2 Decrease 1 Decrease 2
Popular vote 19,774 14,834 10,986
Percentage 10.4% 7.8% 5.8%
Swing Increase 10.4 Decrease 1.6 Decrease 0.8
Results by ward
Largest party before election

N/A

 Subsequent largest party

Labor

This was the first election for the council after it was formed in 2016 from a merger of the City of Gosford and Wyong Shire.

The Labor Party won the most seats out of any party, winning six out of 15.[2]

Background

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Central Coast Council covers the entire Central Coast region, which has a population of 327,736 as of 2021. This makes it the third-most-populated LGA in New South Wales, behind only Blacktown and Canterbury-Bankstown.[3]

The council was formed on 12 May 2016 as a "super council" after the state government merged the City of Gosford and Wyong Shire.[4] It is composed of five wards, each electing three councillors, totalling 15 councillors for the entire LGA.

Candidates

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A total of 93 candidates contested the election.[5]

Central Coast NEW Independents endorsed candidates in three wards (Gosford East, Gosford West and Wyong), while Next Generation Independents ran a ticket in one ward (Gosford East).[6][7]

Results

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See also: Results of the 2017 New South Wales local elections in Greater Sydney
2017 New South Wales local elections: Central Coast[8][9][10]
Party Votes % Swing Seats Change
  Labor 57,265 30.2 +7.0 6   1
  Liberal 46,751 24.7 −6.5 4   2
  Independents 32,279 17.0 −12.6 3   3
  Central Coast NEW Independents 19,774 10.4 +10.4 2   2
  Greens 14,834 7.8 −1.6 0   1
  Save Tuggerah Lakes 10,986 5.8 −0.8 0   2
  Fighting for the Forgotten North 4,012 2.1 0
  Next Generation Independents 2,789 1.5 0
  Animal Justice 544 0.3 +0.3 0  
  Sustainable Development 407 0.2 +0.2 0  
 Formal votes 189,641 92.3
 Informal votes 15,893 7.7
 Total 205,534 100 15
 Registered voters / turnout 250,818 75.6

Budgewoi

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2017 New South Wales local elections: Budgewoi Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor 1. Doug Vincent (elected 1)
2. Jillian Hogan (elected 2)
3. Rowen Turnbull 		16,387 43.3 +12.2
Liberal 1. Garry Whitaker
2. Clive Sargeant
3. Rhiannon Beckers 		6,307 16.7 −11.0
Independent 1. Greg Best (elected 3)
2. Maree Best
3. Amelia Best 		6,154 16.3
Fighting for the Forgotten North 1. Julie Watson
2. Peter Harris
3. Gary Blaschke 		4,012 10.6
Greens 1. Sue Wynn
2. Greg Simmonds
3. Anna Durkin 		2,938 7.8 −1.4
Save Tuggerah Lakes 1. Helaine Taylor
2. Cheryl Deguara
3. Steve Beton 		1,633 4.3
Independent Michael McCarthy 433 1.1
Total formal votes 37,864 91.2
Informal votes 8.8
Turnout 82.2

Gosford East

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2017 New South Wales local elections: Gosford East Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal 1. Rebecca Gale-Collins (elected 1)
2. Kerryanne Delaney
3. Colin Marchant 		14,165 37.4 +0.3
Labor 1. Jeff Sundstrom (elected 2)
2. Victoria Collins
3. Jim Macfadyen 		8,412 22.2 +2.9
Central Coast NEW Independents 1. Jane Smith (elected 1)
2. Mitchell Lawler
3. Sue Chidgey 		4,977 13.1
Greens 1. Stephen Pearson
2. Robina Sinclair
3. Terry Jones 		3,819 10.1 −0.1
Next Generation Independents 1. Claire Braund
2. Diane Bull
3. Danielle Habib 		2,789 7.4
Save Tuggerah Lakes 1. Patrick Aiken
2. Gary Lindahl
3. Denis Whitnall 		1,973 5.2
Independent Carol Fortey 1,715 4.5
Total formal votes 37,850 93.1
Informal votes 6.9
Turnout 81.3

Gosford West

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2017 New South Wales local elections: Gosford West Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor 1. Richard Mehrtens (elected 1)
2. Vicki Scott
3. Brad Ernst 		9,694 25.6 +2.1
Liberal 1. Troy Marquart (elected 2)
2. Sue Dengate
3. Jack Wilson 		8,416 22.2 −11.7
Independent 1. Chris Holstein (elected 3)
2. Lorraine Wilson
3. Bob Puffett 		6920 18.3
Greens 1. Kate da Costa
2. Ruth Herman
3. Wendy Rix 		3,835 10.1 −0.7
Central Coast NEW Independents 1. Gary Chestnut
2. Farren Thornycroft
3. Lisa Wriley
4. Jean MacLeod 		3,676 9.7
Independent 1. Gabby Greyem
2. Helen Macnair
3. Sarah Rimmer 		6,920 7.8
Save Tuggerah Lakes 1. Carl Veugen
2. Daniel Johnson
3. John Caska 		1,380 3.6
Animal Justice Skyla Wagstaff 544 1.4
Independent Christine Keene 414 1.1
Total formal votes 37,837 91.9
Informal votes 8.1
Turnout 81.6

The Entrance

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2017 New South Wales local elections: The Entrance Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor 1. Lisa Matthews (elected 1)
2. Greg Ashe
3. Margot Castles 		10,481 27.7 +8.9
Liberal 1. Jilly Pilon (elected 2)
2. Deanna Bocking
3. Brian Perrem 		10,001 26.4 −1.0
Independent Bruce McLachlan (elected 3) 7,859 20.7
Greens 1. Cath Connor
2. Doug Williamson
3. Barbara Gorman 		4,242 11.2 +3.7
Save Tuggerah Lakes 1. Lloyd Taylor
2. Glenn Clarke
3. Matthew Young 		3,375 8.9
Independent Nathan Bracken 1,348 3.6
Sustainable Development Kylie Boyle 407 1.1
Independent Aaron Harpley-Carr 171 0.5
Total formal votes 37,884 93.5
Informal votes 6.5
Turnout 82.5

Wyong

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2017 New South Wales local elections: Wyong Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor 1. Kyle MacGregor (elected 1)
2. Ruth Punch
3. Narelle Rich 		12,291 32.2 +9.7
Central Coast NEW Independents 1. Louise Greenaway (elected 2)
2. Laurie Eyes
3. John Wiggin 		11,121 29.1
Liberal 1. Chris Burke (elected 3)
2. Kishen Napier
3. James Wood 		7,862 20.6 −9.0
Independent 1. Doug Eaton
2. Troy Stolz
3. Phil Collis 		4,094 10.7
Save Tuggerah Lakes 1. Adam Troy
2. Kaylene Troy
3. Amber Davis 		2,625 6.9
Independent Sean Hooper 213 0.6
Total formal votes 38,206 91.6
Informal votes 8.4
Turnout 82.1

Aftermath

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This section is an excerpt from 2024 Central Coast Council election § Administration and dismissal.[edit]

In October 2020, it was revealed that the council was unable to pay 2,000 staff, and the council had a debt of $89 million.[11] On 26 October 2020, Liberal councillors Rebecca Gale-Collins and Troy Marquart resigned, stating they sought to "differentiat[e] themselves from those councillors wishing to show due cause to the minister as to why they should remain in local government".[12]

On 30 October 2020, then-local government minister Shelley Hancock announced the immediate suspension of the council and the appointment of former senior public servant Dick Persson as the new interim administrator.[13] At the commencement of the administration period, debt has reached just under $350 million.[14][15]

Persson was succeeded as administrator by former acting CEO Rik Hart on 13 May 2021.[16] As a result of being in administration, no election took place for Central Coast in 2021.[17]

On 17 March 2022, the state government formally dismissed the council after a report on its financial management was tabled in the New South Wales parliament.[18] Although there were initially plans to hold a new election in September 2022, these did not eventuate.[19][20]

References

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  1. ^ Raue, Ben. "Central Coast council election, 2017". The Tally Room. Archived from the original on 18 August 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  2. ^ "Central Coast". ABC News. 9 September 2017. Archived from the original on 20 January 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  3. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Central Coast (C)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 6 July 2017.  
  4. ^ "Central Coast Council". Stronger Councils. Government of New South Wales. 12 May 2016. Archived from the original on 8 June 2018. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  5. ^ Vale, Merilyn (7 September 2017). "Who to vote for: ward by ward – Central Coast local council elections". Central Coast Council Watch. Archived from the original on 21 March 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  6. ^ "We need New Independents for the future Central Coast Council!". Central Coast NEW Independents. 21 July 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  7. ^ "Next Generation Independents to stand in the Gosford East Ward". Coast Community News. 11 August 2017. Archived from the original on 1 September 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  8. ^ "Central Coast". New South Wales Electoral Commission. 9 September 2017. Archived from the original on 20 April 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  9. ^ "Central Coast election: Meet the candidates for Budgewoi Ward". The Daily Telegraph. Central Coast Gosford Express Advocate. 7 September 2017. Archived from the original on 1 September 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  10. ^ "Doug Eaton may have failed to be nominated". Coast Community News. 3 August 2017. Archived from the original on 1 September 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  11. ^ Kontominas, Bellinda (30 October 2020). "NSW Government suspends Central Coast Council, appoints administrator over $89 million debt". ABC News. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  12. ^ "Two Liberal councillors bail out of Council". Coast Community News. 28 October 2020. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  13. ^ Hancock, Shelley (21 October 2020). "Central Coast Council facing suspension". Office of Local Government NSW. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  14. ^ Hancock, Shelley (30 October 2020). "Central Coast Council suspended". Office of Local Government NSW. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  15. ^ "Central Coast Council ends Administration period in strong financial position". Central Coast Council. 28 August 2024. Archived from the original on 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024. Council's debt at the commencement of the administration period was just under $350M, due to having to take out two emergency loans, it now sits at less than $200M.
  16. ^ "Administrator Appointment". Central Coast Council. 30 October 2020. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  17. ^ "Central Coast". ABC News. 4 December 2021. Archived from the original on 12 November 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  18. ^ "NSW government sacks entire Central Coast council after inquiry into financial management". The Guardian. Australian Associated Press. 17 March 2022. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  19. ^ Raue, Ben. "Central Coast council election, 2021". The Tally Room. Archived from the original on 2 April 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024. This election has been postponed until September 2022.
  20. ^ Catley, Yasmin. "Reinstate Central Coast Council elections for September 2022". Parliament of New South Wales. Archived from the original on 31 August 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
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