As counting continues in the Bega Valley Shire local election, it is clear that Tony Allen will once again be a councillor.
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Although only around half the total votes had been counted by Sunday morning, September 11, Cr Allen had polled 1653 votes, close enough to an estimated quota of about 2000, that with the remaining count still to take place, he is pretty well assured of a seat on council.
Much of Cr Allen’s support has come from both Bega polling booths and his home booth of Cobargo where he polled very strongly with 273 votes; at the Cobargo booth the person with the next number of votes was Jo Dodds with just 77.
Cr Allen also received strong support in the previous election in 2012 when he crossed the line first with over 16 per cent of the first preference vote.
Newcomer to council, Robyn Bain, was sitting in second position on Sunday morning with 1070 votes. Interestingly, Ms Bain, who three-word slogan was “stop buying buildings” garnered a large number (369) votes from Eden.
Ms Bain is president of the Sapphire Coast Turf Club and wants to see council lobby state and federal governments for an equestrian centre onsite.
Councillor Kristy McBain also polled strongly and on Sunday morning had 957 votes, from strong polling in Tura Beach and Merimbula and to a lesser extent Tathra and Pambula.
Newcomer Jo Dodds was sitting in fourth place on Sunday morning with 863 votes after polling steadily in Bega, Bermagui and Tathra.
The Greens candidate Cathy Griff picked up a solid vote across all booths to put her in fifth position on Sunday morning with 740 votes.
Lying in sixth place was Mitchell Nadin with 715 votes, much of which had been placed by Tura Beach and Merimbula voters. On Sunday morning Mr Nadin had the largest vote of any candidate from the Merimbula booth.
Russell Fitzpatrick has 639 votes, closely followed by Country Labor representative, Tas Fitzer. Michael Britten, Sharon Tapscott, Liz Seckold, Daryl Dobson and Fraser Buchanan were all sitting with between 500 and 600 votes on Sunday morning. It is in these groups that the preference voting will make or break their chances.
From 6pm on election night, Saturday, September 10, counting will provide figures for first preference counts for councillor from each polling place; some, but not all, pre-poll venues and postal vote results will be also counted.
The initial counts for the remaining pre-poll venues, postal votes and other declaration vote categories will continue in the returning officer's office on Sunday and up to the close of the receipt of returned postal vote ballot papers at 6pm, Monday, September 12. It is at that time the quota can be worked out after all first preference votes have been received.
General manager of Bega Valley Shire Council, Leanne Barnes said: “We will have a sense of the make-up of the new council on Saturday night, but the Electoral Commission advises us, that the official result isn’t expected to be declared until Friday, September 16.”
New councillors will come together for the first time on September 21 for the start of their induction, a cost and responsibility Bega Valley Shire Council is sharing with Eurobodalla Shire Council.
“The first official council meeting in the new term will be September 28 and will include the election of the mayor and chairs of council’s various committees,” Ms Barnes said.
“One change implemented by the state government is that the term of the mayor has been extended from one year to two years for mayors elected by councillors.”
