2024 Cumberland City Council election

2024 Cumberland City Council election
14 September 2024
All 15 seats on Cumberland City Council
8 seats needed for a majority
Registered133,113[1]
Turnout81.4%
  First party Second party Third party
 
OLC
Leader N/A N/A Paul Garrard
Party Labor Liberal OLC
Last election 8 seats Did not contest 4 seats
Seats before 8 2 3
Seats won 5 4 3
Seat change 3 2
Primary vote 31,340 23,959 15,001
Percentage 31.7% 24.2% 15.2%
Swing 31.7 11.4[a] 15.2
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
IND
PNP
Leader N/A Eddy Sarkis Sujan Selven
Party Independents People Not Politics Greens
Last election 0 seats Did not exist 0 seats
Seats before 0 1 0
Seats won 1 1 1
Seat change 1 1
Primary vote 10,922 8,044 3,952
Percentage 11.0% 8.1% 4.0%
Swing 10.0 8.1 1.2

The 2024 Cumberland City Council election was held on 14 September 2024 to elect 15 councillors to Cumberland City Council.[2] The election was held as part of the statewide local government elections in New South Wales.[3]

The Labor Party lost its majority but remained the largest party on the council, winning five seats.[4] The Liberal Party gained four seats after returning to endorsing candidates, while Our Local Community won three.[5] Additionally, the Greens won a seat in Cumberland for the first time.[5]

Background

At the 2017 election, the Liberal Party won four seats and 26.2% of the council-wide vote.[2] In 2021, the party chose not to endorse any candidates in Cumberland, with two Independent Liberals – Joseph Rahme (Granville Ward) and Michael Zaiter (Wentworthville Ward) – elected.[6][7]

Greystanes Ward councillor Eddy Sarkis resigned from Our Local Community in February 2024 after losing preselection.[8]

Electoral system

Like in all other New South Wales local government areas (LGAs), Cumberland City Council elections use optional preferential voting.[9] Under this system, voters are only required to vote for one candidate or group, although they can choose to preference other candidates.[10]

All elections for councillor positions are elected using proportional representation.[11] Cumberland has an Australian Senate-style ballot paper with above-the-line and below-the-line voting.[12] The council is divided into five wards, each electing three councillors.[2]

The election was conducted by the New South Wales Electoral Commission (NSWEC).[13][14]

Retiring councillors

Labor

Candidates

Former Auburn mayor Ronney Oueik contested South Granville Ward.[16][17] Tony Oldfield, who was elected to Auburn City Council in 2012 as a member of the Communist Party of Australia, ran in Regents Park Ward as a Battler candidate.[18][19]

Eddy Sarkis and Zac Alameh both contested as "People Not Party Politics" candidates.[20][21][22][23]

Granville

Greystanes

Regents Park

South Granville

Wentworthville

Results

Ward results

2024 Cumberland City Council election: Ward results[24]
Party Votes % Swing Seats Change
  Labor 31,340 31.7 −16.9 5 3
  Liberal 23,959 24.2 +11.4[a] 4 2[a]
  Our Local Community 15,001 15.2 −13.1 3 1
  Independents 10,922 11.0 +10.0 1 1
  People Not Party Politics 8,044 8.1 +8.1 1 1
  Greens 3,952 4.0 +1.2 1 1
  The Independents 3,903 3.9 −2.6 0 1
  Battler 1,848 1.9 +1.9 0
Formal votes 98,969 91.3
Informal votes 9,368 8.7
Total 108,337 100.0 15
Registered voters / turnout 133,113 81.4

Granville

2024 Cumberland City Council election: Granville Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor 1. Ola Hamed (elected 1)
2. Joshika Naidu
3. John Treloar 		6,726 34.5 −8.0
Our Local Community 1. Steve Christou (elected 2)
2. Najib Najibulla
3. Samantha Sleiman 		6,274 32.2 −0.2
Liberal 1. Joseph Rahme (elected 3)
2. Marie Issa
3. Jamie Sleiman 		6,247 32.1 +10.0
Independent David Appleby 229 1.2
Total formal votes 19,476 90.3
Informal votes 2,100 9.7
Turnout 21,576 79.1

Greystanes

2024 Cumberland City Council election: Greystanes Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor 1. Diane Colman (elected 1)
2. Manu Devana
3. Bob Hockey 		6,310 29.7 −3.2
People Not Party Politics 1. Eddy Sarkis (elected 2)
2. Manju Maheswaran
3. Moreen Stephenson 		5,821 27.4 −7.4
Liberal 1. Nadima Kafrouni-Saba (elected 3)
2. Abraham Agopian
3. Jasmine Issa 		5,224 24.6 +23.0
The Independents 1. Greg Cummings
2. John Brodie
3. Ray Semaan 		3,903 18.4 −12.3
Total formal votes 21,258 92.3
Informal votes 1,765 7.7
Turnout 23,023 85.5

Regents Park

2024 Cumberland City Council election: Regents Park Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor 1. Enver Yasar (elected 1)
2. Rafah Chalabi
3. Michelle Joyce 		7,049 36.3 −23.4
Our Local Community 1. Helen Hughes (elected 2)
2. Charles Barden
3. David Miller 		4,876 25.1 +5.6
Liberal 1. Steve Yang (elected 3)
2. Estate John Park
3. Alexander Kim 		3,584 18.5 +2.0
Independent 1. Andrew Quah
2. Mohamed Hassan
3. Youwei Chung 		2,559 13.2 +13.2
Battler 1. Tony Oldfield
2. Elizabeth Hanham
3. Michael Stanislas 		1,352 7.0 +7.0
Total formal votes 19,420 92.2
Informal votes 1,641 7.8
Turnout 21,061 84.2

South Granville

2024 Cumberland City Council election: South Granville Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent 1. Ahmed Ouf (elected 1)
2. Marwa Mosallam
3. Selim Khalil 		4,240 24.0 +24.0
Our Local Community 1. Paul Garrard (elected 2)
2. Jeffrey Sun
3. Margaret Allen 		3,851 21.8 −13.3
Labor 1. Glenn Elmore (elected 3)
2. Mohamad Hussein
3. Eda Tegin 		3,792 21.5 −43.4
Independent 1. Ronney Oueik
2. Haisheng Shi
3. Ahmad Faizi 		2,963 16.8 +16.8
Liberal 1. Ned Attie
2. Fouad El-Ashwah
3. Zaynoun Atie 		2,302 13.1 +13.1
Battler 1. Luke Ahern
2. Ali Farhat
3. Talb Humady 		496 2.8 +2.8
Total formal votes 17,644 88.3
Informal votes 2,346 11.7
Turnout 19,990 76.3

Wentworthville

2024 Cumberland City Council election: Wentworthville Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor 1. Suman Saha (elected 1)
2. Lisa Lake
3. Thiru Arumugam 		7,463 35.3 −10.2
Liberal 1. Michael Zaiter (elected 2)
2. Noelle Diab
3. Melissa Rahme 		6,602 31.2 +9.4
Greens 1. Sujan Selven (elected 3)
2. Balaji Naranapatti
3. Dorothea Newland 		3,952 18.7 +5.1
People Not Party Politics 1. Zac Alameh
2. Sai Darmarajah
3. Nikita Desai 		2,223 10.5 +10.5
Independent 1. Mark Pigram
2. Annie Staples
3. Paul Axiak 		858 4.1 +4.1
Independent Elena Yakovleva 73 0.3 +0.3
Total formal votes 21,171 93.3
Informal votes 1,516 6.7
Turnout 22,687 81.9

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Compared with Independent Liberals in 2021.

References

  1. ^ "Report on the administration of the 2024 NSW Local Government elections (Part 2)" (PDF). New South Wales Electoral Commission. 14 March 2025. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 September 2025. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  2. ^ a b c Raue, Ben. "Cumberland council election, 2024". The Tally Room. Archived from the original on 24 December 2025. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  3. ^ Segaert, Anthony (12 September 2024). "Everything you need to know about local council elections". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 15 November 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  4. ^ Vella, Joanne (17 October 2024). "Cumberland Council: Labor's Ola Hamed elected mayor, Liberal Michael Zaiter named deputy". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 24 December 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  5. ^ a b "2024 Local Government Elections Brief" (PDF). Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue. 1 October 2024. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 March 2025. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
  6. ^ Thompson, Angus (3 November 2021). "'Factional battle': Liberals drop problem councils in local government elections". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 15 June 2024. Retrieved 20 December 2025.
  7. ^ Rayner, Isabella (8 May 2024). "'I stand by my decision': Labor councillor whose vote banned same-sex parenting books from council libraries breaks silence". Sky News Australia. Archived from the original on 8 July 2024. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
  8. ^ Segaert, Anthony (15 May 2024). "We asked every Cumberland councillor about the same-sex book ban. Here's what they said". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  9. ^ "How votes are counted in a local government election". New South Wales Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 12 September 2024. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  10. ^ Strong, Lynne (20 August 2024). "How the preference system works in NSW Local Government Elections". The Bugle News. Archived from the original on 13 December 2025. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  11. ^ Raue, Ben (29 October 2021). "The many party systems of NSW councils". The Tally Room. Archived from the original on 2 April 2024. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  12. ^ "NSW Local Government Elections Website". Antony Green's Election Blog. 22 November 2021. Archived from the original on 21 May 2024. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  13. ^ Ibrahim, Tony (1 September 2024). "Why Fairfield and Liverpool are the only councils in New South Wales to use a private contractor for their elections". ABC News. Archived from the original on 17 December 2024. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
  14. ^ Maddison, Max (20 September 2024). "'A Labor Party hit job': Fury at move to outlaw private companies running council elections". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 8 October 2024. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
  15. ^ a b Vella, Joanne (1 July 2024). "Hopefuls running for Cumberland in 2024 local government elections". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 24 December 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  16. ^ Vella, Joanne (27 August 2024). "Former Auburn mayor Ronney Oueik to contest Cumberland City Council election". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 24 December 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  17. ^ "Meet the 2024 Cumberland Council candidates". The Daily Telegraph. 28 August 2024. Retrieved 24 December 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  18. ^ Busby, llie (2 September 2024). "The battle for Cumberland: Council hopefuls vying for your vote". Parra News. Archived from the original on 14 April 2025. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  19. ^ "The Battle for Cumberland Council". Communist Party of Australia. 7 October 2024. Archived from the original on 7 October 2024. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  20. ^ "Representing PEOPLE NOT PARTY POLITICS". Facebook. Councillor Eddy Sarkis. 4 September 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  21. ^ "Representing PEOPLE NOT PARTY POLITICS". Facebook. Zac Alameh. 4 September 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  22. ^ "VOTE 1". Facebook. Zac Alameh. 6 September 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  23. ^ "VOTE 1". Facebook. Councillor Eddy Sarkis. 4 July 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  24. ^ "The Independents putting you, the resident/ratepayer, first". Facebook. Greg Cummings For Greystanes Ward Cumberland Council. 22 August 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.