2024 Northern Beaches Council election

2024 Northern Beaches Council election
14 September 2024
All 15 seats on Northern Beaches Council
8 seats needed for a majority
Registered188,741[1]
Turnout82.73% ( 1.23)
  First party Second party Third party
 
TRUE
Leader Sue Heins None Vincent De Luca
Party YNBIT Greens True Independents
Leader's seat Frenchs Forest N/A Narrabeen
Last election 6 seats 2 seats 1 seat
Seats before 5 2 1
Seats won 7 4 2
Seat change 2 2 1
Primary vote 71,095 27,052 15,814
Percentage 49.14% 18.70% 10.93%
Swing 18.04 3.70 7.51
Results by ward

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

Your Northern Beaches Independent Team (YNBIT) won seven seats, one short of a majority, while the Greens doubled its seats to four.[4] The Liberal Party lost all six seats it held prior to the election, owing to a missed candidate nomination deadline which prevented its councillors from recontesting, although one party member running without endorsement was elected.[5]

Background

Northern Beaches Council, located in the Northern Beaches region of Sydney, was established in 2016 and held its first election one year later.[6] Your Northern Beaches Independent Team (YNBIT), established by former Warringah mayor Michael Regan, won six seats at the 2017 election and retained all six in 2021.[7]

Regan was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as the member for Wakehurst at the 2023 state election.[8] Following this, Curl Curl Ward councillor Sue Heins replaced Regan as YNBIT leader and Northern Beaches mayor on 16 May 2023.[9] Liberal councillor Rory Amon was also elected to parliament as the member for Pittwater, with former Manly councillor Karina Page elected as his replacement following a countback on 20 June 2023.[10]

On 28 January 2024, Pittwater Ward councillor Michael Gencher left YNBIT to join the Liberal Party.[11] According to the Northern Beaches Advocate, Gencher was one of several YNBIT councillors facing "pressure to stand aside" in favour of candidates aligned with teal independents.[12] Heins told the Manly Observer in response that "if Gencher needs more structure, then he has made the right move".[13] As a result of Gencher's defection, YNBIT lost its plurality on council.[14]

Electoral system

Like in all other New South Wales local government areas (LGAs), Northern Beaches Council elections use optional preferential voting.[15] Under this system, voters are only required to vote for one candidate or group, although they can choose to preference other candidates.[16]

All elections for councillor positions are elected using proportional representation.[17] Northern Beaches has an Australian Senate-style ballot paper with above-the-line and below-the-line voting.[18] The council is divided into five wards, each electing three councillors.[2]

The election was conducted by the New South Wales Electoral Commission (NSWEC).[19][20]

Retiring councillors

Your Northern Beaches

Liberal

Candidates

On 14 August 2024, the day that candidates nominations closed, the Liberal Party revealed they had missed the deadline to nominate 164 candidates in 16 different LGAs.[23][24] This included all Liberal councillors seeking re-election to Northern Beaches Council.[25][26]

The only Liberal member to remain on the ballot was Mandeep Singh, who was supposed to run on the party's Pittwater Ward ticket with Gencher.[27] Singh had mistakenly submitted his own nomination form, rather than waiting for the Liberals to do it on his behalf, meaning he appeared on the ballot as an ungrouped candidate.[28][29]

YNBIT ran candidates in every ward, while the Greens contested four wards and the Labor Party contested three.[30][31] Additionally, Manly Ward councillor Candy Bingham recontested with her "Good For Manly" registered party, and Narrabeen Ward councillor Vincent De Luca ran on the "True Independents" ticket.[32][33]

Curl Curl

Frenchs Forest

Manly

Narrabeen

Pittwater

Withdrawn candidates

Party Candidate Ward Details
Liberal David Walton Curl Curl Incumbent councillor unable to recontest because of missed candidacy deadline.[22]
Liberal Georgia Prassopoulos Curl Curl Candidate unable to contest because of missed nomination deadline.[35][36]
Liberal Georgia Ryburn Manly Incumbent councillor unable to recontest because of missed nomination deadline.[22]
Liberal Adele Heasman Manly Candidate unable to contest because of missed nomination deadline.[35][36]
Liberal Amanda Wilmot Manly Candidate unable to contest because of missed nomination deadline.[35][36]
Liberal Bianca Crvelin Narrabeen Incumbent councillor unable to recontest because of missed nomination deadline.[22]
Liberal Michael Gencher Pittwater Incumbent councillor unable to recontest because of missed nomination deadline.[22]
Liberal Karina Page Pittwater Incumbent councillor unable to recontest because of missed nomination deadline.[22]

Campaign

Although he was the only Liberal member contesting the election, Singh was not permitted to use official party material during the campaign.[37] Singh was also endorsed by Liberal MP and former councillor Rory Amon, prior to Amon being charged with child sex offences and resigning from parliament on 30 August 2024.[38][39]

Results

Ward results

2024 Northern Beaches Council election: Ward results
Party Votes % Swing Seats Change
  Your Northern Beaches 71,095 49.14 +18.04 7 1
  Greens 27,052 18.70 +3.70 4 2
  True Independents 15,814 10.93 +7.51 2 1
  Independent Liberal 10,710 7.40 −27.70[a] 1 4[a]
  Good For Manly 10,230 7.07 +2.67 1
  Labor 9,387 6.49 −0.01 0
  Friends of Mona Vale 387 0.26 +0.26 0
 Formal votes 144,675 92.66
 Informal votes 11,472 7.34
 Total 156,147 100.0 15
 Registered voters / turnout 188,741 82.73 −1.23

Curl Curl

2024 Northern Beaches Council election: Curl Curl Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Your Northern Beaches 1. Joeline Hackman (elected 1)
2. Nicholas Beaugeard (elected 2)
3. Nick McDonald 		18,885 65.8 +21.2
Greens 1. Kristyn Glanville (elected 3)
2. Judy Lambert
3. Roberto Suares 		6,992 24.4 +8.5
Labor 1. Jasper Thatcher
2. Carolyn Howells 		2,814 9.8 −4.8
Total formal votes 28,691 91.8 −4.8
Informal votes 2,551 8.2 +4.8
Turnout 31,242 80.2 +1.5

Frenchs Forest

2024 Northern Beaches Council election: Frenchs Forest Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Your Northern Beaches 1. Sue Heins (elected 1)
2. Jody Williams (elected 3)
3. Penny Philpott 		21,898 73.5 +28.8
Greens 1. Ethan Hrnjak (elected 2)
2. Fathimath Ibrahim
3. Cooper Holdsworth 		7,892 26.5 +12.8
Total formal votes 29,790 92.0 −4.9
Informal votes 2,604 8.0 +4.9
Turnout 32,394 86.8 −0.8

Manly

2024 Northern Beaches Council election: Manly Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Your Northern Beaches 1. Sarah Grattan (elected 2)
2. Rachael Michael
3. David Cowell 		10,381 36.5 +13.0
Good For Manly 1. Candy Bingham (elected 1)
2. Taylah Schrader
3. Peter Greentree 		10,230 35.9 +13.0
Greens 1. Bonnie Harvey (elected 3)
2. Pamela Dawes
3. Terry Le Roux 		4,831 17.0 +4.8
Labor 1. Brandt Clifford
2. Celine Varghese-Fell
3. Sam Pigram 		3,033 10.6 +2.3
Total formal votes 28,475 94.7 −2.7
Informal votes 1,592 5.3 +2.7
Turnout 30,067 80.2 −1.8

Narrabeen

2024 Northern Beaches Council election: Narrabeen Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
True Independents 1. Vincent De Luca (elected 1)
2. Robert Giltinan (elected 3)
3. Tammy Cook 		15,814 54.4 +37.5
Your Northern Beaches 1. Ruth Robins (elected 2)
2. Chris Jackson
3. Adam Hughes 		9,710 33.4 +4.6
Labor 1. Sue Wright
2. Ryan O'Sullivan 		3,540 12.2 +3.4
Total formal votes 29,064 91.0 −5.2
Informal votes 2,890 9.0 +5.2
Turnout 31,954 84.5 −0.7

Pittwater

2024 Northern Beaches Council election: Pittwater Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Liberal Mandeep Singh (elected 1) 10,710 37.4 −4.7[a]
Your Northern Beaches 1. Rowie Dillon (elected 2)
2. Judy Charnaud
3. Ian White 		10,221 35.7 +12.5
Greens 1. Miranda Korzy (elected 3)
2. Evan Turner-Schiller
3. Felicity Davis 		7,337 25.6 +5.0
Friends of Mona Vale Philip Walker 387 1.3 +1.3
Total formal votes 28,655 94.0 −2.8
Informal votes 1,835 6.0 +2.8
Turnout 30,490 82.1 −1.4

Aftermath

Singh resigned from the Liberal Party on 8 April 2025 to contest the Division of Mackellar as an independent at the 2025 federal election.[40] He received 0.63% of the vote, finishing last in a field of nine candidates.[41]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Compared with the Liberal Party 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 "Northern Beaches council election, 2024". The Tally Room. Archived from the original on 3 December 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  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. ^ "Green wave crashes onto Council". Northern Beaches Advocate. 2 October 2024. Archived from the original on 2 October 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  5. ^ Smee, Kim (8 October 2024). "Northern Beaches mayor and deputy elected". Manly Observer. Archived from the original on 16 June 2025. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  6. ^ "New Council Proclaimed for Sydney's Northern Beaches". Northern Beaches Council. 12 May 2016. Archived from the original on 19 April 2025. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  7. ^ "Vote favours Regan". Northern Beaches Advocate. 5 December 2021. Archived from the original on 11 May 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  8. ^ Davies, Anne (25 March 2023). "Northern beaches seat of Wakehurst falls to independent, but Liberals hold on in Manly and Lane Cove". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 26 January 2025. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  9. ^ "Councillor Sue Heins elected as new Northern Beaches Mayor". Northern Beaches Council. 17 May 2023. Archived from the original on 30 July 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  10. ^ O'Rourke, Jim (24 June 2023). "Karina Page makes a comeback to local government on Northern Beaches Council — 20 years on". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 13 December 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  11. ^ "My Transition to the Liberal Party: Serving Pittwater's Best Interests". Facebook. Michael Gencher – 4 Pittwater & the Northern Beaches. 28 January 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  12. ^ "Councillor joins Liberals". Northern Beaches Advocate. 28 January 2024. Archived from the original on 28 January 2024.
  13. ^ Smart, Alec (1 February 2024). "Power shift in Council chambers as Gencher defects". Manly Observer. Archived from the original on 24 February 2024. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
  14. ^ Giglio, Michelle (8 February 2024). "Councillor Michael Gencher defects to Liberals". Northside Living. Archived from the original on 8 July 2024. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
  15. ^ "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.
  16. ^ 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.
  17. ^ 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.
  18. ^ "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.
  19. ^ 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.
  20. ^ 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.
  21. ^ McLeod, Catie (25 August 2024). "Liberals are gone from eight council ballots in Sydney. These 'stocking-filler' candidates might have a shot". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 24 December 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  22. ^ a b c d e f "NSW Liberal council election blunder: How your council is impacted". The Daily Telegraph. 15 August 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  23. ^ Maddison, Max; Smith, Alexandra; Gorrey, Megan (14 August 2024). "NSW Liberals in chaos as party fails to nominate council candidates". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 14 August 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  24. ^ Holmes, Dan (18 August 2024). "NSW Electoral Commission refuses Liberal Party extension". The Mandarin. Archived from the original on 18 August 2024. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  25. ^ "Libs off Council for four years". Northern Beaches Advocate. 15 August 2024. Archived from the original on 18 December 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  26. ^ Vince, Avi (19 August 2024). "Storm brews over Liberal ballot failure; but Georgia bids bye bye". Manly Observer. Archived from the original on 11 August 2025. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  27. ^ O'Rourke, Jim (16 August 2024). "Sunny Singh: Liberal Party member does a 'Steven Bradbury' to edge into Northern Beaches council poll". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 18 August 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  28. ^ Vince, Avi (15 August 2024). "No Liberals in the room as ballot is drawn". Manly Observer. Archived from the original on 18 August 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  29. ^ Smith, Alexandra (10 September 2024). "Meet the last Liberal standing for Northern Beaches Council – all because he made a mistake". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 15 November 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  30. ^ "Labor sets sights on Council". Northern Beaches Advocate. 11 August 2024. Archived from the original on 15 August 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  31. ^ Narunsky, Gareth (29 August 2024). "Councillor's 'foreign policy' fears". Australian Jewish News. Archived from the original on 17 July 2025. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  32. ^ "Good For Manly launch campaign". Northern Beaches Advocate. 9 August 2024. Archived from the original on 13 August 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  33. ^ O'Rourke, Jim (27 August 2024). "Revealed: Every person standing for Northern Beaches Council election on September 14, 2024". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 13 September 2024. Bob Giltinan, who is vying for a seat on Northern Beaches Council from the Narrabeen ward as part of Councillor Vincent De Luca's True Independents' team{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  34. ^ "PHILIP WALKER". Friends of Mona Vale. Archived from the original on 13 September 2024. Retrieved 13 September 2024. In this Election, I am standing as a 'Friends of Mona Vale' Candidate
  35. ^ a b c Smee, Kim (14 August 2024). "No Liberal Candidates in Northern Beaches Council Election". Manly Observer. Archived from the original on 13 June 2025. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  36. ^ a b c "Council deadline disaster". Northern Beaches Advocate. 14 August 2024. Archived from the original on 15 August 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  37. ^ Segaert, Anthony; Lo Surdo, Daniel; Newling, Nick (14 September 2024). "NSW council election results 2024 as it happened: Counting concludes; Clover Moore claims victory in City of Sydney". Sydney Morning Herald. p. 5. Archived from the original on 13 December 2025. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  38. ^ O'Doherty, James (5 September 2024). "Endorsement stripped from campaign flyer before Amon charged". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 13 December 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  39. ^ Napier-Raman, Kishor; Brook, Stephen (5 September 2024). "The curious case of 'Doctor' Gina Rinehart". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 11 September 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  40. ^ "Singh bombshell shocks Liberals". Northern Beaches Advocate. 4 April 2025. Archived from the original on 13 April 2025. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  41. ^ "Mackellar, NSW". Australian Electoral Commission. 3 May 2025. Archived from the original on 25 June 2025. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
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