1977 New South Wales local elections

1977 New South Wales local elections

← 1974 17 September 1977 1980 →

The 1977 New South Wales local elections were held on 17 September 1977 to elect the councils of the local government areas (LGAs) of New South Wales, Australia.[1][2]

Electoral system

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Like at state elections, New South Wales local elections use optional preferential voting.[3] The majority of mayors are elected by councillors at council meetings, although some are directly-elected.[4]

For the first time since the 1968 local elections, voting was compulsory for anyone on the New South Wales state electoral roll.[5] The Wran state government announced the change in July 1976, with a fine of up to $10 applying for non-voters.[6][7]

Candidates

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The Labor Party and the Communist Party of Australia continued to endorse candidates in several LGAs.[8]

Results

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Labor

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There were swings towards Labor in at least 12 councils, with the party gaining a majority in at least three.[9] In Newcastle, the Communists had 3.5% of the vote, with the overall voter turnout increasing by 46%.[9]

Others

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Voter turnout increased significantly across the state, including a 51% increase in Holroyd.[10][11]

References

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  1. ^ "B'NAI B'RITH HONOR FOR SYDNEY'S LORD MAYOR". Australian Jewish Times. 18 August 1977. p. 3. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  2. ^ "Elections in Cooma". The Canberra Times. 31 August 1977. p. 11. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  3. ^ "Declaration of the poll". The Broadcaster. 27 September 1977. p. 6. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  4. ^ Raue, Ben (7 May 2023). "Directly electing mayors – a livestream discussion". The Tally Room. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  5. ^ "September council elections". The Broadcaster. 19 April 1977. p. 6. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  6. ^ "COUNCIL VOTING IS COMPULSORY". The Broadcaster. 27 July 1976. p. 3. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  7. ^ "THE NON VOTERS RISK $10". The Bananacoast Opinion. 21 September 1977. p. 5. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  8. ^ "CPA in council elections". Tribune. 14 September 1977. p. 11. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  9. ^ a b "LABOR GAINS IN COUNCIL ELECTIONS". Tribune. 21 September 1977. p. 3. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  10. ^ "Good turnout for council elections". The Canberra Times. 19 September 1977. p. 7. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  11. ^ Devlin, R. W. (11 October 1977). "Voting up 51 per cent". The Broadcaster. p. 2. Retrieved 16 November 2024.