Results for Saturday’s Armidale Dumaresq Council elections are still being counted but it does seem likely that new candidates will take about half of the seats on council. At the time of going to press, of the grouped candidates, new Liberal endorsed team headed by Margaret O’Connor leads the way with 1735 votes (14.55 per cent), closely followed by The Greens, with newcomer Peter O’Donohue on 1599 votes (13.41 per cent). Incumbent Labor Councillor Herman Beyersdor’s team is likely to get a seat at 1293 votes (10.84 per cent), followed by the new Independent group of Laurie Bishop and Steve Griffiths on 1097 votes (9.20 per cent) with Laurie Bishop likely to take a seat. Hugh Piper’s and Jenny Bailey’s Independent groups are still in contention, sitting at 644 votes (5.40 per cent) and 705 votes (5.91 per cent).
Of the ungrouped Independent candidates, Deputy Mayor Jim Maher will retain his seat streaks ahead of the other ungrouped candidates and sits at a very healthy 1425 votes (11.95 per cent) followed by current councillor Rob Richardson on 913 votes (7.66 per cent). New Independent candidate Andrew Murat is looking in good shape, sitting at 809 votes (6.78 per cent), with incumbent councillors Colin Gadd and Chris Halligan in precarious positions, with Colin Gadd sitting at 427 votes (3.58 per cent) and Chris Halligan on 427 votes (3.58 per cent).
Independent grouped candidate Laurie Bishop is surprised at some of the results that the election has produced so far and thought that there would be a much wider spread of change, given that was what he was hearing from the community.
“The people that I had spoken to all provided the feedback that they wanted change,” said Laurie Bishop.
“I am disappointed that it hasn’t been reflected in the votes that appear to have been confirmed so far.
“There was bound to be a carryover of existing councillors and there is no question in people’s minds that they would like to see a carryover of some skills, expertise and experience, but I think I would have expected those re-elected candidates that have had a low profile, or have delivered less than what people would have liked, would have been replaced by some people that I have come to know, that have a lot of skills and a lot of experience and they are at risk of not being elected.
“It will be some time before we actually know who is being elected.
“I feel quietly confident at the moment but that is down to people who know a lot more about the process ringing me up and saying well done. With preference votes still to be counted, it’s a bit like chaos theory. It is really not a predictable thing unless you are a mathematician.”
