2021 Northern Territory local elections
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| Registered | 139,105 | |
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| Turnout | 57.49% | |
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The 2021 Northern Territory local elections were held on 28 August 2021 to elect the councils of the 17 local government areas (LGAs) in the Northern Territory, Australia. Six councils also held mayoral elections.[1][2]
303 candidates contested the elections to fill a total of 159 council and mayoral positions. Two councils did not have enough nominations to fill all vacancies, causing supplementary elections to be held.[3]
A record number of voters were on the electoral roll, with an increase of more than 5,000 people compared to the 2017 elections. More than 25,000 people voted at an early voting centre.[4][5]
Party changes before elections
[edit]A number of councillors joined or left parties before the 2021 elections.
| Council | Ward | Councillor | Former party | New party | Date | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alice Springs | Unsubdivided | Eli Melky | Independent | Country | 8 February 2019 | ||
| Alice Springs | Unsubdivided | Marli Banks | Independent | Country | 14 June 2019 | ||
| Alice Springs | Unsubdivided | Catherine Satour | Independent | Country | 14 June 2019 | ||
| Alice Springs | Unsubdivided | Matt Paterson | Independent | Territory Alliance | 11 May 2020 | ||
| Alice Springs | Unsubdivided | Matt Paterson | Territory Alliance | Independent | Late 2020 | ||
| Alice Springs | Unsubdivided | Eli Melky | Federation | Independent | 20 August 2021 | ||
Results
[edit]Mayoral elections
[edit]Mayors in italics did not recontest their positions.
| Council | Before | Result after preference distribution | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mayor | Party | Party | Candidate | % | Result | ||||||
| Alice Springs | Damien Ryan | Country Liberal | Independent | Matt Paterson | 50.01 | Independent gain | |||||
| Independent | Jimmy Cocking | 49.99 | |||||||||
| Barkly | Steve Edgington | Country Liberal | Independent | Jeffrey McLaughlin | 65.29 | Independent gain | |||||
| Independent | Hal Ruger | 34.71 | |||||||||
| Darwin | Kon Vatskalis | Labor | Labor | Kon Vatskalis | 57.23 | Labor hold | |||||
| Independent | Amye Un[a] | 12.69 | |||||||||
| Katherine | Fay Miller | Country Liberal | Independent | Lis Clark | 53.89 | Independent gain | |||||
| Independent | Kevin South | 46.11 | |||||||||
| Litchfield | Maree Bredhauer | Independent | Independent | Doug Barden | 54.68 | Independent gain | |||||
| Independent | Maree Bredhauer | 45.32 | |||||||||
| Palmerston | Athina Pascoe-Bell | Independent | Independent | Athina Pascoe-Bell | 73.99 | Independent hold | |||||
| Independent | Ryan Pettifer[a] | 15.61 | |||||||||
Council totals
[edit]| Council | Seats | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independents | Labor | Country Liberal | Greens | |
| Alice Springs | 7 | Did not contest | 1 | 0 |
| Barkly | 10 | Did not contest | Did not contest | 1 |
| Belyuen | 5 | Did not contest | Did not contest | Did not contest |
| Central Desert | 4 | Did not contest | Did not contest | Did not contest |
| Coomalie | 4 | Did not contest | Did not contest | Did not contest |
| Darwin | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| East Arnhem | 6 | Did not contest | Did not contest | Did not contest |
| Katherine | 6 | Did not contest | Did not contest | Did not contest |
| Litchfield | 6 | Did not contest | Did not contest | Did not contest |
| MacDonnell | 6 | Did not contest | Did not contest | Did not contest |
| Palmerston | 7 | Did not contest | Did not contest | Did not contest |
| Roper Gulf | 11 | Did not contest | Did not contest | Did not contest |
| Tiwi Islands | 11 | Did not contest | 1 | Did not contest |
| Victoria Daly | 2 | Did not contest | Did not contest | Did not contest |
| Wagait | 5 | Did not contest | Did not contest | Did not contest |
| West Arnhem | 12 | Did not contest | Did not contest | Did not contest |
| West Daly | 5 | Did not contest | Did not contest | Did not contest |
Aftermath
[edit]The Alice Springs mayoral election was decided by just two votes, the closest result that Northern Territory Electoral Commissioner Iain Loganathan said he had ever seen.[6] Unsuccessful candidate Jimmy Cocking requested a new recount, but it was rejected by the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal in October 2021.[7]
By-elections
[edit]| Council | Ward | Before | Change | Result after preference distribution | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Councillor | Party | Cause | Date | Date | Party | Candidate | % | ||||||
| Coomalie | Batchelor Township | 20 November 2021 | Independent | Richard Luxton | 60.00 | ||||||||
| Independent | Bill Baldwin[b] | 26.15 | |||||||||||
| Central Desert | Akityarre | 10 February 2022 | Independent | Rosslyn Campbell | N/A | ||||||||
| Elected unopposed | |||||||||||||
| West Daly | Nganmarriyanga | 10 February 2022 | Independent | Terry Sams | N/A | ||||||||
| Elected unopposed | |||||||||||||
| East Arnhem | Gumurr Gattjirrk | 17 February 2022 | Independent | Joe Djakala | N/A | ||||||||
| Elected unopposed | |||||||||||||
| East Arnhem | Gumurr Miyarkka | 17 February 2022 | Independent | Wesley Bandi Bandi Wunungmurra | N/A | ||||||||
| Elected unopposed | |||||||||||||
| Roper Gulf | Numbulwar Numburindi | 17 February 2022 | Independent | Kathy-Anne Numamurdirdi | N/A | ||||||||
| Elected unopposed | |||||||||||||
| East Arnhem | Gumurr Miwatj | 7 July 2022 | Independent | Marrpalawuy Marika[c] | 61.74 | ||||||||
| Independent | Wesley Dhamarrandji[c] | 18.79 | |||||||||||
| East Arnhem | Anindilyakwa | 22 July 2022 | Independent | Lionel Jaragba | N/A | ||||||||
| Elected unopposed | |||||||||||||
| East Arnhem | Gumurr Miyarkka | 22 July 2022 | Independent | Bobby Wunungmurra | N/A | ||||||||
| Elected unopposed | |||||||||||||
| Darwin | Waters | Justine Glover | Independent | Resignation | 3 May 2022 | 7 July 2022 | Independent | Kim Farrar | 51.20 | ||||
| Country Liberal | Gary Haslett[b] | 24.45 | |||||||||||
| Central Desert | Anmatjere | 4 November 2022 | No nominations received | ||||||||||
| Alice Springs | Unsubdivided | Jimmy Cocking | Independent | Resignation | 2022 | 29 October 2022 | Independent | Gavin Morris | 56.77 | ||||
| Country Liberal | Sean Heenan | 43.23 | |||||||||||
| West Arnhem | Gunbalanya | 18 March 2023 | Independent | Gabby Gumurdul | 70.80 | ||||||||
| Independent | Owen Naborlhborlh | 29.20 | |||||||||||
| Barkly | Alyawarr | 6 April 2023 | Independent | Lucy Jackson | N/A | ||||||||
| Independent | Mark Peterson | N/A | |||||||||||
| Elected unopposed (two vacancies) | |||||||||||||
| East Arnhem | Gumurr Miwatj | 5 May 2023 | Independent | Marrpalawuy Marika | 76.90 | ||||||||
| Independent | Ineke Wallis | 23.10 | |||||||||||
| Barkly | Patta | 6 May 2023 | Independent | Elliot McAdam[c] | 33.83 | ||||||||
| Independent | Sharon Lake[c] | 25.30 | |||||||||||
| MacDonnell | Rodinga | 19 May 2023 | Independent | Andrew Davis | N/A | ||||||||
| Independent | Aloyiscois Hayes | N/A | |||||||||||
| Elected unopposed (two vacancies) | |||||||||||||
| Central Desert | Anmatjere | N/A | N/A | No nominations received | 4 November 2022 | 16 June 2023 | Independent | David McCormack | N/A | ||||
| Elected unopposed | |||||||||||||
| Central Desert | Southern Tanami | 16 June 2023 | Independent | Warren Williams | N/A | ||||||||
| Elected unopposed | |||||||||||||
| MacDonnell | Luritja Pintubi | 16 June 2023 | Independent | Tommy Jabanardi Conway | 58.90 | ||||||||
| Independent | Amos Egan | 41.10 | |||||||||||
| Belyuen | Unsubdivided | 13 July 2023 | No nominations received | ||||||||||
| Katherine | Unsubdivided | 15 July 2023 | Independent | Kerrie Mott[c] | 27.39 | ||||||||
| Independent | Peter McDougall[c] | 27.28 | |||||||||||
| Victoria Daly | Timber Creek | 27 July 2023 | Independent | Deborah Jones | N/A | ||||||||
| Elected unopposed | |||||||||||||
| Tiwi Islands | Bathurst Island | Peter Kantilla | Independent | Resignation forced after not attending council meetings | 22 February 2023 | 3 August 2023 | Independent | John Ross Pilakui | N/A | ||||
| Elected unopposed | |||||||||||||
| Roper Gulf | Never Never | 1 September 2023 | No nominations received | ||||||||||
| Darwin | Lyons | Paul Arnold | Independent | Resignation | 3 May 2023 | 2 September 2023 | Independent | Sam Weston | 53.03 | ||||
| Greens | Suki Dorras-Walker | 46.97 | |||||||||||
| West Arnhem | Kakadu | 9 September 2023 | Independent | Mickitja Onus | 61.00 | ||||||||
| Independent | Charlotte Meneer | 39.00 | |||||||||||
| Tiwi Islands | Bathurst Island | 28 September 2023 | Independent | Deanne Rioli | N/A | ||||||||
| Elected unopposed | |||||||||||||
| Roper Gulf | Never Never | N/A | N/A | No nominations received | 4 November 2022 | 9 September 2023 | Independent | Edna Prescilla Iles | 56.93 | ||||
| Independent | Cecilia Lake | 43.07 | |||||||||||
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ a b Second-placed on primary vote as the election did not require preference distribution.
- ^ a b Second-placed on primary vote as the by-election did not require preference distribution.
- ^ a b c d e f Two vacancies on council, meaning two candidates were elected - this shows their primary vote before preference distribution.
References
[edit]- ^ "Results". Northern Territory Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 6 January 2024.
- ^ "Today is the NT local government election day. Here's everything you need to know to have your say". ABC News.
- ^ "303 nominate for 2021 Local Government Elections". Northern Territory Electoral Commission.
- ^ "Record number of electors on roll for 2021 Local Government Elections". Northern Territory Electoral Commission.
- ^ "25,000 Territorians have early voted". Northern Territory Electoral Commission.
- ^ "Two votes decide Alice Springs mayoral race". ABC News.
- ^ "NTCAT rejects Jimmy Cocking's bid for new recount of Alice Springs mayoral vote". ABC News.