No Election For Cowra, By Election To Ensue

IMAGE: Current Cowra Shire Councillors Cheryl Downing, Judi Smith, Paul Smith, Peter Wright, Mayor Ruth Fagan, Erin Watt, Bill West, Nikki Kiss and Sharon D’Elboux. Judi, Bill and Sharon will not be part of the new Council.

Residents of Cowra Shire will not head to the polls on NSW Local Government election day on September 14, with only eight nominations received by the NSW Electoral Commission for the nine seats on Cowra Shire Council.

This means each of those nominees have already been declared elected, with a by-election to be held at a later date, to be determined by NSWEC, to fill the nineth seat.

The following eight candidates will form the new Cowra Shire Council, in accordance with section 311 of the Local Government Act 1993, as of Saturday September 14 2024:

SMITH, Paul (Independent)
DOWNING, Cheryl
HORTON, Tony (Independent)
WATT, Erin
SPEECHLEY, Cheryl (Independent)
FAGAN, Ruth
WRIGHT, Peter (Independent)
KISS, Nikki (Independent)

Cowra Shire Council issued a statement last week congratulating each successful candidate.

NSWEC confirmed on Friday voters in local government areas that did not have more nominees than the number of seats

on those Councils would not have to vote.

“Berrigan, Cowra and Junee Councils and Lachlan – Ward E have received fewer candidate nominations than the number of councillors required for their councils, and a by-election will be held to fill those vacancies at a later date,”it stated in a media release on Friday.

“Voters enrolled in these council areas or wards are not required to vote in the September Local Government elections. Voting in subsequent by-elections is compulsory.”

Uncontested elections (where only the required number of candidates (or less) have been nominated) have been declared for the following council, ward and mayoral elections: