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Local government elections have come to a close across WA – and there have been several notable shakeups.
All eyes were on the City of Perth to see who would take on the role of mayor following the departure of now Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas.
Bruce Reynolds, who was acting mayor, was elected to the top job, with the WA Electoral Commission advised of his victory on Sunday morning.
Reynolds was not the only notable result, with Lisa Ma elected to council at just 18 years old.
Former Fremantle mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge.
In the City of Fremantle, it was a closer competition.
Incumbent Hannah Fitzhardinge was fighting for her spot after five years as the port city’s mayor.
But it was Ben Lawver, a former councillor, who pipped her to the post, with the close count announced late on Sunday evening.
In a statement, Lawver said he was “extremely humbled and honoured” to have been elected.
“Our grassroots campaign involved hundreds of people from across our port city,” he said.
“This amalgamation of creativity and leg work, combined with so much love, is the starting point for our positive movement for a better Freo.”
Further south, the City of Rockingham’s first popularly elected mayor Deb Hamblin has been ousted by councillor Lorna Buchan.
North of the city, in Joondalup, the race for mayor has not yet been confirmed, but former Liberal turned independent Ian Goodenough is running for the top job, after former mayor Albert Jacob announced he would not be re-contesting his position.
Big Don’s Smoked Meats founder, and now City of Bayswater councillor, Donovan Macdonald.Credit: Duncan Wright
In Bayswater, Big Don’s Smoked Meats founder Donovan MacDonald has been elected as a councillor in the West Ward.
“I appreciate the support from voters, who clearly prioritised independents in several races across the city. I’ll have a lot to learn, starting with the deputy mayor vote and agenda meeting next week,” he wrote on Facebook.
“But I’m very excited to continue being a Baysie booster both as local business and from the council.”
And perhaps one of the most controversial candidates this election – Aussie Trump – has not been elected in the Shire of Harvey.
In his candidate profile he calls voters to elect him in order to “drain the swamp”, a phrase used by US President Donald Trump during his first run at politics in 2016.
