Councillors Still Undecided

ONLY three candidates have met the quota to be Councillors based on first preferences so far.

Which new faces may stay and which old faces may go?

The NSW Electoral Commission anticipates the final results will be known after midday today, after preferences have been apportioned.

UPDATE: The NSW electoral commission has confirmed counting for the Upper Hunter Shire Council will be continuing tomorrow.

On first preferences the three candidates who have met the quota of 800 votes includes:

• Lee Watts with 2,193 votes – 27.43%;
• Maurice Collison with 1103 votes – 13.79%, and
• Wayne Bedggood with 918 votes – 11.48%.

This also means only three candidates will have votes flow to preferences, which based on the transfer rate will mean approximately:

• Lee Watts may pass down 884 votes;
• Maurice Collison could pass down 83 and
• from Wayne Bedggood 15 votes may flow.

After preferences from these three candidates have gone to the remaining candidates, the bottom candidates will be eliminated and their full value votes will flow to preferences on their ballot papers.

It is possible candidates currently at the bottom of the first preference tally could become Councillors based on preferences and it is also possible previous Councillors may be precluded from another opportunity to be on Council.

The first preference tally of the other candidates are as follows:

• 656: Ron Campbell (8.20%)
• 603: Sue Abbott (7.54%)
• 544: Joshua Brown (6.80%)
• 500: Lorna Driscoll (6.25%)
• 460: Kiwa Fisher (5.75%)
• 379: James Burns (4.74%)
• 298: Deidre Peebles (3.73%)
• 193: Liam Garment (2.41%)
• 116: Arthur Wright (1.45%)
• 33: Debra Haydon (0.04%)