By Victoria Stone-Meadows
FIRST preference vote results for the City of Casey have been released with seven of 11 incumbent councillors maintaining their positions.
There were close calls across the board and preference distribution making all the difference in getting candidates over the line.
City of Casey Mayor and incumbent councillor for Springfield Ward Sam Aziz has been voted back into council in a very close decider.
“I’m feeling great and I am grateful for people of Springfield for returning me to council,” he said.
“I had a fierce campaign run against me with state-wide negative coverage and ridiculous accusations, but the voters paid attention to the scoreboard.”
Second incumbent for Springfield Louise Berkelmans lost her seat by a margin of 2514 after preference distribution.
“I am disappointed to have lost Louise, and the community will be worse off without her,” Cr Aziz said.
Rex Flannery was the second successful candidate elected for Springfield Ward, and came second to Cr Aziz with less than 1000 votes separating them.
“I am happy to work alongside anyone, but people like Mr Flannery will soon find the luxury candidates are afforded during a campaign is very different from managing Victoria’s largest city.” Mr Aziz said.
“I hope he will approach this with a collaborative mindset and refrain from the sort of behaviour we have seen during the election, and he will act as a leader of the people.”
Amanda Stapledon has been returned to council to represent Mayfield Ward along with Steve Beardon who trailed Cr Stapledon by just 401 votes after preference distribution.
“I am so honoured and so grateful and surprised,” Cr Stapledon said.
“I had everything against me including a shocking flu, but I am honoured to be part of this community that have placed their trust and faith in me.”
The Local Government Investigations and Compliance Inspectorate confirmed last week that there is an ongoing investigation regarding ballot papers being stolen from mail boxes in Mayfield Ward.
“We’re keeping in touch with the VEC about the possible removal of ballot papers, but it is a very small number of confirmed cases where ballot papers have either been removed or not delivered to certain addresses,” a spokesperson for the Inspectorate said.
“And as theft of mail (or incorrect addressing of material) does occur in some areas, we have to take all possibilities into account.”
Cr Stapledon had said that while there was an investigation into these allegations, she trusts the VEC and the Inspectorate to deliver accurate election results.
“If it has occurred, I think it would be thoroughly investigated before going to count,” she said.
“I don’t believe they would have let the count go through without triple checking the ballots.
Mayfield incumbent and now former councillor Gary Rowe was the last candidate to have his preferences distributed for the ward.
Incumbent councillor for Edrington Ward Susan Serey was the first candidate in her ward to reach the necessary quota of votes to be elected with 28 per cent of first preference votes.
Timothy Jackson is the second elected councillor for Edrington, and came out on top after a tight preference distribution between himself, James Williams and incumbent Mick Moreland.
Rise Up Australia Party’s Rosalie Crestani has been voted back into council in the Four Oaks Ward, but former councillor Rafal Kaplon has lost his seat to new face Milla Gilich.
“It’s great to see the people who have come behind myself and Milla Gilich,” Cr Crestani said.
“I will continue to serve Four Oaks and the wider Casey community, and I will continue to be the voice of the people on some of the most controversial issues.”
“Safety is a big concern for me; I want to provide a community of peace and safety for all Casey residents, and I want to see that social issues are tackled as much as possible as well.”
River Gum Ward will have no change in representation as both Wayne Smith and Damien Rosario have been voted back into council, but Cr Smith says the competition was no less fiecre.
“Any competition is stiff competition, everyone wanted to win, but I think by our records the community were satisfied,” he said.
“We are the only pair that has been returned which is a good thing for River Gum because they will have consistent representation and we have proved to be a good team.”
“We have different views but when it comes to ward decisions we support each other with our ideas and projects and people know they can come to either and we will both support them.”
As announced on Thursday 27 October, Councillor Geoff Ablett maintained his seat as the sole representative of Balla Balla Ward with over 50 per cent of first preference votes.
Councillors for the 2016- 2020 council term will be declared on Wednesday 2 November 2016 at the Council Chambers in Narre Warren.
