‘Big’ names fail to win re-election at local poll

After 10 years as a City of Perth councillor, two of those as deputy lord mayor, Bert Tudori failed to win re-election at last weekend’s local government elections.

Also failing to win re-election was Vincent Tan, who served four years on the council.

Judy McEvoy and Michael Sutherland were re-elected, while architect Chris Hardy and television presenter Eleni Evangel are new faces at council.

These four councillors were part of an alliance formed before the election. They were sworn in at council house on Tuesday night ahead of a special meeting to elect the deputy lord mayor.

The result of this ballot was not available at the time WA Business News went to press.

Prominent Perth lawyer John Hammond narrowly missed out on a place at council, finishing in fifth place with 1,346 votes.

In news from other councils, former Claremont mayor Peter Weygers was unsuccessful in his bid to return to the top job. He was defeated by Peter Olson.

Peter Tagliaferri was convincingly returned to his mayoral post at the City of Fremantle, but David Utting, editor of Fremantle-based community newspaper the Western Beacon, was unsuccessful against new south ward councillor Jon Strachan.

Subiaco voters obviously agreed with retiring mayor Tony Costa’s pick of a successor, with Heather Henderson beating Mark Tonti and Melissa Callanan.

Graham Burkett, the controversial former coast ward councillor at the Town of Cambridge who resigned following his appearance before the Corruption and Crime Commission, was replaced by Penny Huxtable and John Gow.

Former state Labor MLA Jann McFarlane was elected to the Stirling council’s Osborne ward.

Former local government minister and Labor MP of 14 years, David Smith, was elected as mayor of Bunbury ahead of seven other candidates. The position became vacant at the state election in February when John Castrilli became the Liberal member for Bunbury.

The Shire of Bunbury had the largest number of voters (8,763) participate in the election and also the biggest number of election packages distributed – 21,317. Safety Bay ward in Rockingham was next with 7,711 votes, followed by Beeliar ward in Canning with 6,712 votes, Doubleview ward in Stirling 6,402 and Bickley ward in Gosnells with 6,376 votes.

With 67.18 per cent, Cottesloe’s central ward had the highest voter return among metropolitan local governments, followed by city and south wards in Fremantle with 49.66 and 49.57 per cent, and Subiaco’s central ward with 45.90 per cent. 

Almost 300,000 WA voters took part in the elections.