2017 New South Wales local elections

The 2017 New South Wales local elections were held on 9 September 2017 to elect the councils of 46 of the 168 local government areas (LGAs) in New South Wales. Several councils also held mayoral elections and/or referendums.[1]

2017 New South Wales local elections
9 September 2017
Registered2,730,000
Turnout76.60%
  First party Second party Third party
 
IND
Leader N/A Luke Foley Gladys Berejiklian
Party Independents Labor Liberal
Seats won 241[lower-alpha 1] 105[lower-alpha 1] 96[lower-alpha 1]
Popular vote 687,863 535,852 533,377
Percentage 32.26% 25.62% 25.50%
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
SFF
LDP
Leader No leader Robert Borsak John Humphreys
Party Greens SFF LDP
Seats won 31[lower-alpha 1] 2[lower-alpha 1] 1
Seat change Increase 2 Steady
Popular vote 180,532 3,821 4,177
Percentage 8.63% 0.18% 0.20%
Results by LGA

Background

Following the 2012 elections, major changes occurred as a result of the enactment of the Local Government (Areas) Act 1948 and as a result of a review by the NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) that commenced in 2013. On 12 May 2016, following a further review by the Minister for Local Government and the independent Local Government Boundaries Commission, Premier Mike Baird announced Stage 1 starting with 19 new councils, through amalgamations and mergers, with immediate effect. The Minister indicated in principle support to create a further nine new councils, subject to the decision of the courts.[2][3] On the same day, the Governor of New South Wales acted on the advice of the Minister, and proclaimed the 19 new local government areas. Another proclamation occurred a few months later with the amalgamation of City of Botany Bay and City of Rockdale.[4]

This resulted in 79 councils being contested in 2016 before the vast majority contested together again in 2021.

Parties

The following registered parties contested this election. This does not include groups of independents:

In addition, a number of local government-registered parties also contested the elections.[5]

Party changes before elections

A number of councillors joined or left parties before the 2017 elections.

CouncilWardCouncillorFormer partyNew partyDate
Shellharbour Unsubdivided Paul Rankin   Liberal   Independent 30 October 2013
Strathfield Unsubdivided Nella Hall   Independent   Christian Democrats 2015
Ku-ring-gai Gordon Cheryl Szatow   Liberal   Independent 19 September 2016
Wollongong Ward 3 Bede Crasnich   Liberal   Independent 26 August 2017
Shellharbour Unsubdivided Kellie Marsh   Liberal   Independent August 2017
Ku-ring-gai Comenarra Jeff Pettett   Liberal Democrats   Independent 2017

Results
Further information: 2017 New South Wales mayoral elections

Votes
Party Votes  % Swing Seats[lower-alpha 1] Change
  Independents 687,863 32.26 241
  Labor 535,852 25.62 105
  Liberal 533,377 25.50 96
  Greens 180,532 8.63 31
  Northern Beaches Independents 40,828 1.95 +1.95 6 Increase 6
  Our Local Community 36,250 1.73 +1.73 4 Increase 4
  Local Independent Party 13,631 0.65 0 Decrease 2
  Good For Manly 8,045 0.65 +0.65 1 Increase 1
  Residents First Woollahra 7,150 0.34 +0.12 5 Steady
  Christian Democrats 6,770 0.32 0 Steady
  Serving Mosman 5,402 0.26 +0.14 3 Steady
  Liberal Democrats 4,177 0.20 1 Steady
  Residents For Mosman 4,175 0.20 +0.11 2 Increase 1
  Lorraine Wearne 4,055 0.19 –0.04 1 Decrease 1
  Shooters, Fishers and Farmers 3,821 0.18 2
  Independent Community Voice 3,575 0.17 1 Increase 1
  Kogarah Residents 3,384 0.16 +0.16 1 Increase 1
  Independent One Nation 3,343 0.16 +0.16 1 Increase 1
  Independent Christian Democrats 3,298 0.16 +0.16 1 Increase 1
  Australia First 3,279 0.16 0 Steady
  Residents Action Group 3,158 0.15 0 Decrease 2
  Ben Shields Team 2,650 0.13 +0.13 1 Increase 1
  Communist 1,595 0.07 +0.00 0 Decrease 1
  Strathfield Independents 1,467 0.07 +0.07 1 Increase 1
  Animal Justice 804 0.04 0 Steady
  Socialist Alliance 407 0.02 0 Steady
  Independent Greens 236 0.01 +0.01 0 Steady
 Total 2,091,126 100.00 – – –
 Registered voters / turnout 2,730,000 76.60 – –

Councillors
Council Seats[6]
Liberal Labor Greens Independent Others
Armidale Did not contest 1 1 9 Did not contest
Bathurst Did not contest Did not contest 1 8 Did not contest
Bayside 5 7 0 3 Did not contest
Blayney Did not contest 1 0 6 Did not contest
Burwood 2 4 Did not contest 1 Did not contest
Cabonne Did not contest Did not contest Did not contest 12 Did not contest
Canada Bay 3 4 1 1 Did not contest
Canterbury-Bankstown 5 9 1 0 Did not contest
Central Coast 4 6 0 5 0
Cootamundra-Gundagai Did not contest Did not contest Did not contest 9 Did not contest
Cumberland 5 8 0 2 Did not contest
Dubbo Did not contest 1 Did not contest 9 Did not contest
Dungog Did not contest 1 Did not contest 8 0
Edward River Did not contest Did not contest Did not contest 9 Did not contest
Federation Did not contest Did not contest Did not contest 9 Did not contest
Georges River 5 6 Did not contest 4 Did not contest
Hilltops Did not contest Did not contest Did not contest 11 Did not contest
Hornsby 5 2 2 1 Did not contest
Hunter's Hill 2 Did not contest Did not contest 5 Did not contest
Inner West 2 5 5 3 Did not contest
Ku-ring-gai Did not contest Did not contest Did not contest 9 1[lower-alpha 2]
Lane Cove 3 1 Did not contest 5 Did not contest
Maitland 4 5 0 4 Did not contest
Mid-Coast 1 2 Did not contest 8 Did not contest
Mosman Did not contest Did not contest Did not contest 7 Did not contest
Murray River Did not contest Did not contest Did not contest 9 Did not contest
Murrumbidgee Did not contest Did not contest Did not contest 9 Did not contest
Newcastle 1 7 1 4 Did not contest
North Sydney Did not contest Did not contest Did not contest 9 1[lower-alpha 3]
Northern Beaches 5 0 2 8 Did not contest
Oberon Did not contest Did not contest Did not contest 9 Did not contest
Orange Did not contest Did not contest 1 8 2[lower-alpha 4]
Parramatta 6 5 1 3 Did not contest
Port Stephens Did not contest 1 Did not contest 9 Did not contest
Queanbeyan-Palerang 1 2 1 7 Did not contest
Randwick 4 5 3 3 0
Ryde 4 4 2 2 Did not contest
Shellharbour 1 3 Did not contest 3 Did not contest
Snowy Monaro Did not contest Did not contest 1 10 Did not contest
Snowy Valleys Did not contest Did not contest Did not contest 9 Did not contest
Strathfield 3 2 Did not contest 2 Did not contest
The Hills 9 3 0 0 0
Waverley 5 4 3 0 Did not contest
Willoughby Did not contest Did not contest 1 12 Did not contest
Wollongong 3 6 2 2 Did not contest
Woollahra 8 0 2 5 Did not contest

Aftermath

Party defections

In 2019, Labor Cumberland councillor Steve Christou defected to Our Local Community, as did directly-elected Canada Bay mayor Angelo Tsirekas in 2021.[9][10] OLC councillor Andrew Wilson joined The Small Business Party in 2021.[11]

By-elections
For by-elections in councils that held local elections in 2016, see here.

The New South Wales Electoral Commission held a number of by-elections to fill vacancies on councils following the 2017 elections up until 2021.[12]

The Central Coast Council was suspended before two by-elections in 2020 could be held.

Council Ward Before Change Result after preference distribution
Councillor Party Cause Date Date Party Candidate %
Murrumbidgee East 10 March 2018 Independent Pat Brown 52.47
Independent Shane Fraser 47.53
The Hills West 28 July 2018 Liberal Jacob Jackson 69.01
Labor Immanuel Selvaraj 30.99
Ku-ring-gai St Ives David Citer Independent Liberal Resignation 2 August 2018 27 October 2018 Ind. Liberal Christine Kay 53.92
Independent Nicholas Bakker 46.08
Wollongong Ward 3 24 November 2018 Labor Ann Martin 58.36
Independent Ami Beck[lower-alpha 5] 21.67
Wollongong Ward 3 Vicky King Labor Death 25 February 2020 No by-election held due to COVID-19 pandemic
Central Coast Gosford East Rebecca Gale Liberal Resignation 26 October 2020 Council suspended before countback
Central Coast Gosford West Troy Marquart Liberal Resignation 26 October 2020 Council suspended before countback

Notes
  1. This does not include seats in 79 LGAs that were won in 2016 but not up for re-election until the 2021 local elections.
  2. Independent One Nation/Independent Greens ticket.[7][8]
  3. One Liberal Democrat
  4. Two Shooters, Fishers, Farmers Party members.
  5. Second-placed out of three candidate after initial preference distribution.

References
  1. "Council Elections".
  2. "Introduction". Stronger Councils. Government of New South Wales. 12 May 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  3. "New councils for NSW". Family & Community Services (Press release). Government of New South Wales. 12 May 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  4. "Local Government (Council Amalgamations) Proclamation 2016" (PDF). Stronger Councils. Government of New South Wales. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  5. "Local government register of political parties". New South Wales Electoral Commission.
  6. "2021 NSW Local Government Elections". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
  7. "Ku-ring-gai". ABC News.
  8. "The gloves are off for Ku-ring-gai Council candidates as the elections nears". The Daily Telegraph.
  9. "Cumberland Council new mayor Steve Christou quits Labor Party". The Daily Telegraph.
  10. "Canada Bay". ABC News.
  11. "NSW council elections – who is running, and how many?". The Tally Room. 8 November 2021.
  12. "Local government election results". New South Wales Electoral Commission.
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