2012 New South Wales local elections

The 2012 New South Wales local elections were held on 8 September 2012 to elect the councils of 150 of the 152 local government areas (LGAs) of New South Wales, Australia. Several councils also held mayoral elections and/or referendums.

The elections were conducted by the New South Wales Electoral Commission, with the exception of 14 councils who chose to conduct their own elections or use the services of the private Australian Election Company.

No elections were held in Shellharbour or Wollongong as electors had voted a year prior in 2011, following the sackings of both councils in 2008.

The Liberal Party chose not to contest the elections in Fairfield and Penrith, leading to Liberal councillors running as Independent Liberals.

More than 16 wards across the state were uncontested.

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

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

Party changes before elections Council Ward Councillor Former party New party Date Wagga Wagga Undivided Garry Hiscock  Independent  Business 20 July 2009 Hornsby Mayor Nick Berman  Liberal  Independent 11 November 2010 Newcastle Ward 4 Mike Jackson  Labor  Independent 16 February 2011 Newcastle Ward 4 Mike Jackson  Independent  Liberal 15 April 2011 Auburn First Ward Le Lam  Unity  Independent 2011 Ashfield South Morris Mansour  Liberal  Independent 2011 Uralla A Ward Isabel Strutt   Christian Democrats  Independent 2012

Results

Party Votes % Swing Seats Change   Independents 1,306,350 38.14 927   Liberal 748,349 21.85 172   Labor 656,552 19.17 152   Greens 228,708 6.68 38   Independent Liberal 132,756 3.87 33   Independent National 33,882 0.99 15   Your Warringah 33,757 0.98 5   Clover Moore Independent Team 30,352 0.89 4 1   Independent Lake Alliance 26,242 0.77 4   Shire Watch Independents 20,654 0.60 1   Independent Labor 16,061 0.47 11   Unity 15,005 0.44 3   Christian Democrats 14,032 0.41 0   Save Tuggerah Lakes 11,465 0.33 2   Shoalhaven Independents Group 11,171 0.33 3   Liberal Democrats 10,492 0.31 2 2   Holroyd Independents 8,567 0.25 2   Eurobodalla Ratepayers Action 8,059 0.23 4   Lorraine Wearne 7,914 0.23 2   Residents First Woollahra 7,502 0.22 5   Totally Locally Committed 7,364 0.21 2   Liverpool Community Independents Team 7,363 0.21 1   Australia First 6,421 0.19 1 1   Parramatta Independents 5,628 0.17 0   Living Sydney 5,524 0.17 +0.17 1 1   Community First 5,386 0.16 1   Residents Action For Auburn 4,960 0.14 2   Building Australia 4,448 0.13 +0.13 0   No Parking Meters 4,446 0.13 0 1   Bob Thompson 4,140 0.12 1   Serving Mosman 4,128 0.12 2   Woodville Independents 4,118 0.12 0   Community Service Environment 3,977 0.12 1   Democratic Labor 3,700 0.11 1   Manly Independents 3,609 0.10 2   Burwood Community Voice 3,559 0.10 1   Residents For Mosman 3,155 0.09 1   Our Sustainable Future 2,792 0.08 2   Albury Citizens and Ratepayers 2,751 0.08 1   Parramatta Better Local Government 2,602 0.07 0   Communist 2,352 0.07 1 1   Sex Party 2,149 0.06 +0.06 0   Save Our State 888 0.02 0   Kogarah Residents 804 0.02 0   Socialist Alliance 724 0.02 0   Protectionist 256 0.01 0   Family First 126 0.01 0   Democrats 103 0.01 0  Total 3,425,343 100.00 – – –

Aftermath The Liberal Democrats had their first-ever electoral victories, with Jeff Pettett and Clinton Mead elected to Ku-ring-gai Council and Campbelltown City Council respectively.

The election of Tony Oldfield to Auburn City Council remains the only time the present-day Communist Party of Australia had had an electoral win.

Australia First councillor Maurice Girotto left the party in 2013 to sit as an independent, before joining the Christian Democrats in March 2016.

Following the 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 79 councils being contested in 2016 and 46 in 2017, before the vast majority contested together again in 2021.

By-elections

The New South Wales Electoral Commission held a number of by-elections to fill vacancies on councils after the 2012 elections up until 2016. Council Ward Before Change Result after preference distributionCouncillorPartyCauseDateDatePartyCandidate%HurstvilleHurstville 15 March 2014 Labor Brent Thomas57.59 Liberal Tim Feng 30.44 Woollahra Double Bay 15 March 2014 LiberalJames Keulemans55.80 Residents First Anne Crooks 25.25 Willoughby Sailors Bay Gail Giles-Gidney Independent Liberal Elected as mayor12 April 201414 June 2014 IndependentRachel Hill64.79 Independent Vache Kahramanian 22.51 Brewarrina Unsubdivided Jeanette Barker Independent DeathMarch 201421 June 2014 IndependentBill Loughnan56.48 Independent Tommy Stanton 43.52 Leichhardt Birrabirragal/Balmain Melinda Manikas Liberal Death 8 May 2014 2 August 2014 IndependentJohn Stamolis60.61 Labor Aaron Di Pietro 39.39 Woollahra Double Bay 23 August 2014 IndependentJohn DoyleN/A Elected unopposed Cobar Unsubdivided 23 August 2014 IndependentPeter Abbott85.80 Independent Peter Florance 14.20 Marrickville West Emanuel TsardouliasLaborDeath19 August 201423 August 2014 LaborDaniel Barbar50.08 Greens Justine Langford 33.05 Blue Mountains First Ward 15 November 2014 LaborSarah Shrubb53.71 Greens Kerry Brown 46.29 Blue Mountains Second Ward 15 November 2014 LaborVictoria Arney53.01 Independent Rob Thompson 46.99 Clarence Valley Unsubdivided 21 February 2015 IndependentArthur LysaughtN/A Elected unopposed Newcastle Ward 3 21 February 2015 LaborDeclan Clausen53.15 Independent Kath Elliott 46.85 Ryde East 21 February 2015 LiberalJane Stott52.77 Labor Penny Pedersen 47.23 Wakool B Ward 5 March 2016 IndependentDavid LandiniN/A Elected unopposed Wakool C Ward Colin Membrey Independent Resignation December 2015 5 March 2016 No candidate declared elected Wakool C Ward N/AN/ANo candidate elected5 March 20169 April 2016 IndependentAlan Mathers69.06 IndependentChristine Dartnell30.94

Mayoral elections

The 2012 New South Wales mayoral elections were held on 8 September 2012 to elect mayors or lord mayors to 36 of the 152 local government areas (LGAs) in New South Wales. The elections were held as part of the statewide local elections.

These were the last mayoral elections for Botany Bay, Canterbury, Greater Taree, Manly, Queanbeyan, Snowy River and Warringah − all of which were LGAs abolished in the 2016 local government proclamations.

Retiring mayors Greg Piper () − Lake Macquarie, announced March 2012 Genia McCaffery () − North Sydney, announced 12 June 2012 John Tate () − Newcastle, announced 8 August 2012

Bellingen

Botany Bay

Burwood

Eurobodalla

Fairfield

Lake Macquarie

Nambucca

Newcastle

North Sydney

Queanbeyan

Snowy River

This was the first time the position of mayor of Snowy River was directly-elected

Sydney

Warringah

Willoughby

See also 2012 New South Wales mayoral elections 2012 Sydney City Council election

Notes

References