The elections for the City of Sydney Council and lord mayor were held on Saturday December 4. Returning Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore’s team appears set to control five votes in the 10-member council after securing an historic fifth term.
Cr Moore’s popular mayoral vote stood at almost 44 per cent at time of publication, a swing against her 58 per cent victory in 2016, perhaps reflecting the mid-term departure of Kerryn Phelps and Phelps’ support for Yvonne Weldon (Unite for Sydney).
The first Aboriginal lord mayoral candidate, Ms Weldon received close to 15 per cent of the mayoral vote, as did Labor’s Linda Scott. In the election for councillors, while Moore and Scott’s numbers held steady, Ms Weldon’s slipped to around 11 per cent.
According to the ABC’s election analyst Antony Green, Jess Scully will retain her spot on Council, as will Robert Kok, with newcomers Emelda Davis, the chairwoman of Australian South Sea Islanders, and architect HY William Chan, likely to join their teammates on Moore’s ticket. Councillors Philip Thalis and Jess Miller will not be elected, being at the bottom of Moore’s ticket.
Cr Scott, who has served nine years on Council, appears set to retain her spot along with new comers Ms Weldon, Liberal’s Shauna Jarrett and the Greens’ Sylvie Ellsmore.
Ms Ellsmore represented Newtown on Marrickville Council (2012-2016) and works at Sydney University’s Sydney Policy Lab. Ms Jarrett is a Sydney lawyer and governance consultant.
The final spot is too close to call. It will depend on finishing order and then preference flows. Former ALP Waverley Councillor and gallerist Damien Minton is in the lead followed by Angela Vithoulkas (Small Business Party) and Gannon Lyndon (Liberal). Angela Vithoulkas (Small Business Party) won her place on the last Council from a similar position.
Final results are expected between December 21 and 23. See https://vtr.elections.nsw.gov.au/LG2101/sydney/results/.
Local government elections in NSW are normally held every four years. Due to the 2020 election being postponed, however, the new Council will serve for two years and nine months.
