THE results of the Kingston Council election have been announced.
Crs Georgina Oxley, Steve Staikos, George Hua, David Eden, and Tamsin Bearsley were re-elected to sit on the expanded 11 person council. Other running incumbents Rosemary West, Geoff Gledhill, and Tamara Barth lost their bids for another council term.
Six new faces were chosen by Kingston voters to represent them in the 2020-2024 term. Cameron Howe, founder of the Carrum and Patterson Lakes Forum resident group was comfortably elected in Banksia Ward. Tracey Davies, Chris Hill, Hadi Saab, Tim Cochrane, and Jenna Davey-Burns were elected in Chicquita, Como, Karkarook, Melaleuca, and Wattle Wards respectively.
Mr Gledhill was leading on first preferences in Melaleuca Ward, but lost after preferences were redistributed.
Cr Staikos received a big thumbs up from voters in his ward, who re-elected him with nearly 60 per cent of the first preference vote.
Voter turnout was high, with each ward reporting a turnout of more than 80 per cent. This is a sharp increase from turnout in 2016, which averaged around 75 per cent.
Kingston Council moved to an 11 person, single member ward structure at these elections. Previously nine councillors had been selected across four wards, before the change was implemented in the Local Government Act earlier this year.
The Victorian Electoral Commission confirmed the results on 10 November.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 11 November 2020
