The 2016 New South Wales local elections were held on 10 September 2016 to elect the councils of 79 of the 128 local government areas (LGAs) of New South Wales. Several councils also held mayoral elections and/or referendums.

The elections were conducted by the New South Wales Electoral Commission, with the exception of Fairfield, Gunnedah, Kempsey, Lake Macquarie and Penrith, who chose to conduct their own elections.

The election in Tweed was deferred until 29 October 2016 due to the death of a candidate.

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. 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.

This resulted in 46 councils not being contested until 2017, before the vast majority contested together again in 2021.

Parties The following registered parties contested this election. This does not include groups of independents: Animal Justice Party Christian Democrats Greens Labor Party Liberal Democrats Liberal Party

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

Party changes before elections A number of councillors joined or left parties before the 2016 elections.

In Fairfield, Labor councillor George Barcha was handed a 6-month suspension for branch stacking and ran fourth on the party's Cabravale Ward ticket at the election.

Council Ward Councillor Former party New party Date Cessnock C Ward Suellen Wrightson  Liberal  Palmer United 23 June 2013 Penrith East Maurice Girotto  Australia First  Independent 31 October 2013 Hurstville Peakhurst Michelle Stevens  Labor  Independent 3 April 2014 Ballina B Ward Jeff Johnson  Greens  Independent 16 February 2015 Wagga Wagga Unsubdivided Paul Funnell  Democratic Labour  Country 5 March 2015 Wagga Wagga Unsubdivided Paul Funnell  Country  Independent 29 March 2015 Fairfield Cabravale George Barcha  Labor  Independent Labor 11 November 2015 Blacktown Ward 5 Jacqueline Donaldson  Liberal  Independent 2015 Penrith East Maurice Girotto  Independent  Christian Democrats 16 March 2016 Fairfield Cabravale Dai Le  Liberal  Independent 16 August 2016 Fairfield Mayor Frank Carbone  Labor  Independent 30 August 2016

Results

Party Votes % Swing Seats Change   Independents 678,591 39.59 +1.45 545   Labor 429,605 24.60 +5.43 81   Liberal 286,013 16.40 −5.45 48   Greens 110,491 6.35 −0.33 23   Clover Moore Independent Team 45,224 2.60 +1.71 5 1   Independent National 40,896 2.35 +1.36 15   Shoalhaven Independents 21,510 1.31 +0.98 5 2   Independent Liberal 21,364 1.30 −2.57 5   Independent Lake Alliance 20,978 1.21 +0.44 1 3   Lake Mac Independents 19,036 1.10 +1.10 3 3   Christian Democrats 15,326 0.90 +0.49 0   Liverpool Community Independents Team 13,207 0.75 +0.54 2 1   Totally Locally Committed 7,865 0.45 +0.24 2   Community First 7,049 0.41 +0.25 1   Sydney Matters 6,051 0.35 +0.35 1 1   Australia First 4,424 0.27 +0.08 0 1   Liberal Democrats 4,356 0.27 −0.04 0 1   Our Sustainable Future 4,295 0.26 +0.18 2   Bob Thompson 3,891 0.25 +0.13 1   Independent Labor 3,700 0.23 −0.24 4   Community Service Environment 2,152 0.14 +0.02 0 1   For A Better Shoalhaven 1,394 0.10 +0.10 0   Albury Citizens and Ratepayers 301 0.03 −0.05 0 1   Animal Justice 193 0.02 +0.02 0  Total 1,747,912 100.00 – – –

Referendums In addition to the local elections, six LGAs held referendums. LGA Question YES NO Informal Turnout Ref Votes % Votes % Votes % Total % Hawkesbury "Currently Hawkesbury City Council is an undivided council with no wards. Do you agree to the Hawkesbury Local Government Area being divided into three (3) wards, each ward electing four (4) Councillors?" 11,233 30.87 25,154 69.13 2,214 5.74 38,601 80.84 Narrandera "Do you support a reduction in the number of Councillors for the Narrandera Shire Council from nine (9) to seven (7)?" 1,636 48.92 1,708 51.08 147 4.21 3,491 80.27 Tenterfield "Do you favour the removal of the current ward based system so that all electors vote for all 10 Councillors that represent the Tenterfield Shire Council area?" 1,628 43.42 2,121 56.58 108 2.80 3,857 77.89 Tweed "Do you support an increase in the number of Tweed Shire Councillors from sever (7) to nine (9)? If there is majority support for the proposal, the changes will take effect from the 2020 Local Government election." 16,890 34.46 32,125 65.54 1,680 3.31 50,695 75.70 Upper Hunter "The Mayor of the Upper Hunter Shire Council is currently elected annually by the nine (9) Councillors. Do you want to change to the direct election of the Mayor by the voters of the Upper Hunter Shire Council, for a four (4) year term, with the number of Councillors (including the Mayor) remaining at nine (9)?" 3,309 43.03 4,381 56.97 170 2.16 7,860 77.87 Wollondilly "Do you favour the election of the Mayor by electors for a four (4) year term with the number of Wards reduced from three (3) to two (2), each Ward four (4) Councillors, plus a popularly elected Mayor?" 14,961 65.80 7,777 34.20 2,414 9.60 25,152 71.75

By-elections

The New South Wales Electoral Commission held a number of by-elections to fill vacancies on councils after the 2016 elections up until 2021. Council Ward Before Change Result after preference distributionCouncillorPartyCauseDateDatePartyCandidate%CampbelltownUnsubdivided Fred BorgTotally Locally CommittedDeath20 December 201618 March 2017 Labor Ben Gilholme56.47 Community First Josh Cotter 43.53 Lithgow Unsubdivided 8 April 2017 IndependentDarryl Goodwin39.83 Independent Deanna Goodsell 21.04Port Macquarie-HastingsUnsubdivided 29 July 2017 IndependentPeta Pinson51.07 Independent Robert Turner 48.93BrewarrinaUnsubdivided 19 August 2017 IndependentMichael HertsletN/A Elected unopposedNarromineUnsubdivided 19 August 2017 IndependentTrudy Everingham56.52 Independent Ruth Carney 43.48TenterfieldWard D 19 August 2017 IndependentBob Rogan54.43 Independent Brian Brown 45.57WollondillyUnsubdivided 28 October 2017 IndependentMatt Smith56.62 Independent Laura Egan-Burt 43.38CoonambleUnsubdivided 26 March 2018 IndependentRobert Thomas54.61 Independent Pat Cullen 45.39BerriganUnsubdivided 14 July 2018 IndependentRoger Reynoldson68.39 Independent Ruth Silvester 31.61Greater HumeEast 24 November 2018 IndependentLea Parker52.34 Independent Greg Mason 24.67CobarUnsubdivided 8 December 2018 IndependentKate Winders51.53 Independent Benny Hewlett 48.47GriffithWard A 16 February 2019 Ind. NationalGlen Andreazza55.25 Independent Damien Marcus 44.75LachlanWard D 16 February 2019 IndependentElaine Bendall63.52 Independent Dennis Brady 16.01UrallaWard A 16 February 2019 IndependentTom O'Connor66.91 Independent Charlotte Field-Sampson 33.09CoonambleUnsubdivided 29 June 2019 IndependentPat Cullen33.11 Independent Barbara Deans 24.64

See also 2016 Sydney City Council election 2016 Tweed Shire Council election

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