THE nomination period for candidates in the 2024 Frankston City Council election has closed, and 42 candidates have nominated to contest the city’s nine wards.
Of the candidates, seven current councillors (Crs Bolam, Baker, Taylor, Asker, Hill, Hughes and Aitken) have thrown their hats in the ring to serve another four-year term. Two current councillors (Crs Nathan Conroy and Claire Harvey) have decided not to stand again. This election will see the move away from a three-ward system with three councillors in each ward to a nine-ward system with only one councillor to be elected from each ward.
A late withdrawal from the upcoming election was the current mayor, Cr Nathan Conroy. When asked by The Times why he chose to withdraw from the race, Conroy said “I’ve decided to step back after reflecting on the significant achievements we’ve made as a council over the past four years”.
Conroy took a period of unpaid leave from council earlier this year to contest the Dunkley by-election for the Liberal Party after the death of Peta Murphy. Although he has withdrawn from the race, Lyrebird Ward will still have a Conroy on the ticket after the nomination of Nathan Conroy’s wife, Steffie Conroy.
In Ballam Ward, four candidates are seeking election: Kris Bolam, Adam Marsal, Steven Hughes and Cristy Solis.
In Centenary Park Ward, four candidates are seeking election: Andrew Cheeseman, Shane Osborne, Maureen Rodgers and Michael O’Reilly.
In Derinya Ward, six candidates are seeking election: Hans Vanderstadt, Liam Hughes, Iva Babic, Brad Hill, Ashleigh Hoult and Cassandra Grace.
In Elisabeth Murdoch Ward, six candidates are seeking election: Cherie Wanat, Suzette Tayler, Chrysten Abraham, Renee Jackson, Henryk Kay and Stephen McDonald.
In Kananook Ward, five candidates are seeking election: Glenn Aitken, Trent Stagg, Lisa Stark, Mathan Pither and Emily Green
In Lyrebird Ward, three candidates are seeking election: Nathan Havis, Sam Keats and Steffie Conroy.
In Pines Ward, four candidates are seeking election: Justin Turner, Sue Baker, Bernadette Graus, and Quinney Brownfield-Hanna.
In Wilton Ward, four candidates are seeking election: Annaliese Collison, Richard Rendell, Prasad Philip and David Asker.
In Yamala Ward, six candidates are seeking election: Nathan Butler, Garry Ebbott, Ben Frawley, Sheila Newman, Steve Toms and Alistair Wardle.
Ballot pack mail outs begin on 7 October with voting closing at 6pm on Friday 25 October. The election results will be declared on Friday 15 November.
First published in the Frankston Times – 25 September 2024
