2024 Lake Macquarie City Council election

2024 Lake Macquarie City Council election
14 September 2024
All 13 seats on Lake Macquarie City Council
7 seats needed for a majority
Registered166,305[1]
Turnout85.1%
Mayor
  First party Second party Third party
 
LMI
Candidate Adam Shultz Melody Harding Kate Warner
Party Labor Liberal Lake Mac Inds
Primary vote 47,167 28,857 26,713
Percentage 35.3% 21.6% 20.0%
Swing 17.7 0.5 7.6
TCP 60.1% 39.9%
TCP swing 9.1 39.9
Mayor before election

Kay Fraser
Labor

Elected Mayor

Adam Shultz
Labor

Councillors
Turnout85.2%
Party Leader Vote % Seats +/–
Labor Adam Shultz 35.2 5 −1
Liberal Melody Harding 23.1 3 0
Lake Mac Inds Kate Warner 21.7 3 0
Independents N/a 5.5 1 +1
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.

The 2024 Lake Macquarie City Council election was held on 14 September 2024 to elect a mayor and twelve councillors to the City of Lake Macquarie.[2] The election was held as part of the statewide local government elections in New South Wales.[3]

Labor Party candidate Adam Shultz was elected mayor with 60.1% of the two-candidate-preferred vote, following the retirement of incumbent Kay Fraser.[4] However, Labor lost its narrow majority on the council after the election of one independent, while the Liberal Party and Lake Mac Independents retained three seats each.[5]

Background

On 28 July 2023, Lake Mac Independents councillor Luke Cubis resigned, creating a vacancy in West Ward.[6] His seat was not filled before the election after councillors voted unanimously against having a by-election.[7]

In February 2024, the Liberal Party's Nick Jones was removed as a councillor for East Ward after missing three consecutive council meetings.[8][9]

The boundaries of Lake Macquarie's three wards changed prior to the 2024 election.[10] East Ward expanded to add parts of Warners Bay, while West Ward moved to include Barnsley and Holmesville.[2] Additionally, North Ward gained Boolaroo, Lakelands, Macquarie Point and Speers Point.[2]

Electoral system

Like in all other New South Wales local government areas (LGAs), Lake Macquarie City Council elections use optional preferential voting.[11] Under this system, voters are only required to vote for one candidate or group, although they can choose to preference other candidates.[12] Lake Macquarie was one of 37 LGAs to have a direct mayoral election in 2024.[2]

All elections for councillor positions are elected using proportional representation.[13] Lake Macquarie has an Australian Senate-style ballot paper with above-the-line and below-the-line voting.[14] The council is divided into three wards, each electing four councillors.[2]

The election was conducted by the New South Wales Electoral Commission (NSWEC).[15][16]

Retiring councillors

Labor

  • Kay Fraser (mayor) − announced 8 March 2024[17]

Candidates

Mayoral candidates

Candidates are listed in the order they appeared on the ballot.

Party Candidate Background
  Greens Bryce Ham Environmental activist[18]
  Liberal Melody Harding Educator and marriage celebrant[18]
  Labor Adam Shultz Councillor for East Ward[18]
  Our Local Community John Gilbert Former Lake Mac Independents councillor[19]
  Community First Inds Rosmairi Dawson Former Independent Lake Alliance councillor[20]
  Lake Mac Independents Kate Warner Councillor for East Ward[18]

Ward candidates

East

North

West

Results

Mayoral results

2024 Lake Macquarie City Council election: Mayor
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Adam Shultz 47,167 35.3 –17.7
Liberal Melody Harding 28,857 21.6 –0.5
Lake Mac Independents Kate Warner 26,713 20.0 +7.6
Greens Bryce Ham 13,119 9.8 +9.8
Community First Inds Rosmairi Dawson 10,473 7.8 –4.6
Our Local Community John Gilbert 7,468 5.6 +5.6
Total formal votes 141,648 94.5 –1.6
Informal votes 7,851 5.5 +1.6
Turnout 149,499 85.2 +0.6
Two-candidate-preferred result
Labor Adam Shultz 54,862 60.1 –9.1
Lake Mac Independents Kate Warner 36,336 39.9 +39.9
Labor hold  
Distribution of preferences: Lake Macquarie City Mayor
Party Candidate Votes Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4
Dist. Total Dist. Total Dist. Total Dist. Total
Labor Adam Shultz 47,167 409 47,576 591 48,167 4,339 52,506 2,356 54,862
Liberal Melody Harding 28,857 367 29,224 432 29,656 864 30,520 Excluded
Lake Mac Independents Kate Warner 26,713 801 27,514 2,465 29,979 1,807 31,786 4,550 36,336
Greens Bryce Ham 13,119 206 13,325 594 13,919 Excluded
Community First Inds Rosmairi Dawson 10,473 620 11,093 Excluded
Our Local Community John Gilbert 7,468 Excluded

Ward results

2024 Lake Macquarie City Council election: Ward results
Party Votes % Swing Seats Change
  Labor 46,239 35.2 −4.0 5 1
  Liberal 30,363 23.1 −2.6 3
  Lake Mac Independents 28,530 21.7 +2.3 3
  Greens 13,257 10.1 +0.3 0
  Independents 7,221 5.5 +1.9 1 1
  Community First Inds 2,942 2.2 0
  Our Local Community 2,819 2.1 0
 Formal votes 131,371 92.8
 Informal votes 10,133 7.2
 Total 141,504 100.0 12
 Registered voters / turnout 166,305 85.1

East

2024 Lake Macquarie City Council election: East Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor 1. Adam Shultz
2. Christine Buckley (elected 1)
3. Stacey Radcliffe (elected 3)
4. Joseph Steel 		18,551 40.8 −1.0
Liberal 1. Matt Schultz (elected 2)
2. Melody Harding
3. Rod Chapman
4. Dianne Volker 		11,620 25.5 −0.9
Lake Mac Independents 1. Michael Hannah (elected 4)
2. David Gibson
3. John Edwards
4. Allison Hannah 		7,766 17.1 +0.6
Greens 1. Jane Oakley
2. Elizabeth Riley
3. Patricia Philippou
4. Stephanee Reay Bartsch 		4,053 8.9 +0.1
Independent 1. Rowen Turnbull
2. Kaciee Wagstaff
3. Dyllan Harvey
4. Tina Sulis 		3,511 7.7
Total formal votes 45,501 92.8
Informal votes 3,543 7.2
Turnout 49,044 85.9

North

2024 Lake Macquarie City Council election: North Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor 1. Brian Adamthwaite (elected 1)
2. Keara Conroy (elected 4)
3. Mark Howells
4. Gaurav Vijay 		17,122 37.9 −4.7
Liberal 1. Jack Antcliff (elected 2)
2. Daniel Swane
3. Susan Antcliff
4. Mark Pauling 		10,822 24.0 +2.2
Lake Mac Independents 1. Colin Grigg (elected 3)
2. Tara Hall
3. Daniel Secomb
4. Timothy Sullivan 		10,519 23.3 +8.0
Greens 1. Bryce Ham
2. Gregory Watkinson
3. Tal Nelson
4. Andrew McLean 		6,425 14.2 +2.4
Independent James McCorkell 141 0.3
Independent Daniel Smith 89 0.2
Independent Travis McCorkell 35 0.1
Total formal votes 45,153 93.7
Informal votes 3,015 6.3
Turnout 48,168 86.0

West

2024 Lake Macquarie City Council election: West Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor 1. Madeline Bishop (elected 1)
2. David Belcher
3. Mackenzie Robson
4. Stephen Ryan 		10,566 26.0 −7.4
Lake Mac Independents 1. Kate Warner (elected 2)
2. Ashley Dorse
3. Steve Graham
4. Olenka Motyka 		10,245 25.2 −0.7
Liberal 1. Jason Pauling (elected 3)
2. Nicholas Jones
3. Julie Pauling
4. Michael Uidam 		7,921 19.5 −9.3
Independent 1. Anthony Swinsburg (elected 4)
2. Lorna Edwards
3. David Pickard
4. Linda Lord 		3,388 8.3
Community First Inds 1. Rosmairi Dawson
2. Graham Davidson
3. Janette Coulter
4. Melissa Rogan 		2,942 7.2 +4.0
Our Local Community 1. Toni Bowyer
2. Elizabeth Cooper
3. Alan Hogan
4. Paris Southee 		2,819 6.9
Greens 1. Ingrid Schraner
2. Kim Grierson
3. Kerry Suwald
4. Charmian Eckersley 		2,779 6.8 −1.9
Independent Eddie Milton 57 0.1
Total formal votes 40,717 91.9
Informal votes 3,575 8.1
Turnout 44,292 83.2

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 d e Raue, Ben. "Lake Macquarie council election, 2024". The Tally Room. Archived from the original on 14 July 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. ^ Ziniak, Amy; Proudman, Dan (14 September 2024). "2024 local government elections across Hunter councils". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 21 December 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  5. ^ Link, Madeline (16 September 2024). "Next mayor of Lake Macquarie: Labor's Adam Shultz declares victory". Newcastle Herald. Archived from the original on 17 September 2025. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  6. ^ Link, Madeline (25 August 2023). "Cr Luke Cubis resigns: Lake Macquarie City Council faces by-election". Newcastle Herald. Archived from the original on 17 September 2025. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  7. ^ Ziniak, Amy (29 August 2023). "Lake Macquarie Council opposes costly by-election following resignation of Cr Luke Cubis". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 21 December 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  8. ^ Link, Madeline (20 February 2024). "Councillor sacked for failing to turn up to three meetings in a row". Newcastle Herald. Archived from the original on 12 September 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  9. ^ "Too many red flags, a planning threat, and a Supreme Court summons". Local Government News Roundup. 21 February 2024. Archived from the original on 23 February 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  10. ^ "Ward boundary changes for upcoming election". Lake Macquarie City Council. 6 August 2024. Archived from the original on 1 April 2025. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  11. ^ "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.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ "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.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ 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.
  17. ^ Link, Madeline (8 March 2024). "'An honour and a privilege': mayor calls time on remarkable career". Newcastle Herald. Archived from the original on 5 May 2024. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  18. ^ a b c d Ziniak, Amy (6 September 2024). "2024 local government elections: Meet candidates for Cessnock, Lake Macquarie, Muswellbrook and Port Stephens". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 22 December 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  19. ^ McGowan, Michael (20 September 2016). "New Lake Macquarie Councillor John Gilbert lashes out at 'Leftards'". Newcastle Herald. Archived from the original on 22 December 2025. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  20. ^ "Vote 1 Rosmairi Dawson". Rosmairi Dawson. Archived from the original on 2 September 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
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