# 2017 Central Coast Council election

The 2017 Central Coast Council election was held on 9 September 2017 to elect 15 councillors to Central Coast Council. The election was held as part of the statewide local government elections in New South Wales, Australia.
This was the first election for the council after it was formed in 2016 from a merger of the City of Gosford and Wyong Shire.
The Labor Party won the most seats out of any party, winning six out of 15.

## Background

Central Coast Council covers the entire Central Coast region, which has a population of 327,736 as of 2021. This makes it the third-most-populated LGA in New South Wales, behind only Blacktown and Canterbury-Bankstown.
The council was formed on 12 May 2016 as a "super council" after the state government merged the City of Gosford and Wyong Shire. It is composed of five wards, each electing three councillors, totalling 15 councillors for the entire LGA.

## Candidates

A total of 93 candidates contested the election.
Central Coast NEW Independents endorsed candidates in three wards (Gosford East, Gosford West and Wyong), while Next Generation Independents ran a ticket in one ward (Gosford East).

## Results

2017 New South Wales local elections: Central Coast :
| Party | Party | Party | Votes | % | Swing | Seats | Change |
| | Labor | Labor | 57,265 | 30.2 | +7.0 | 6 | 1 |
| | Liberal | Liberal | 46,751 | 24.7 | −6.5 | 4 | 2 |
| | Independents | Independents | 32,279 | 17.0 | −12.6 | 3 | 3 |
| | Central Coast NEW Independents | Central Coast NEW Independents | 19,774 | 10.4 | +10.4 | 2 | 2 |
| | Greens | Greens | 14,834 | 7.8 | −1.6 | 0 | 1 |
| | Save Tuggerah Lakes | Save Tuggerah Lakes | 10,986 | 5.8 | −0.8 | 0 | 2 |
| | Fighting for the Forgotten North | Fighting for the Forgotten North | 4,012 | 2.1 | | 0 | |
| | Next Generation Independents | Next Generation Independents | 2,789 | 1.5 | | 0 | |
| | Animal Justice | Animal Justice | 544 | 0.3 | +0.3 | 0 | |
| | Sustainable Development | Sustainable Development | 407 | 0.2 | +0.2 | 0 | |
| Formal votes | Formal votes | Formal votes | 189,641 | 92.3 | | | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 15,893 | 7.7 | | | |
| Total | Total | Total | 205,534 | 100 | | 15 | |
| Registered voters / turnout | Registered voters / turnout | Registered voters / turnout | 250,818 | 75.6 | | | |

### Budgewoi

2017 New South Wales local elections: Budgewoi Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labor | 1. Doug Vincent (elected 1) 2. Jillian Hogan (elected 2) 3. Rowen Turnbull | 16,387 | 43.3 | +12.2 |
| | Liberal | 1. Garry Whitaker 2. Clive Sargeant 3. Rhiannon Beckers | 6,307 | 16.7 | −11.0 |
| | Independent | 1. Greg Best (elected 3) 2. Maree Best 3. Amelia Best | 6,154 | 16.3 | |
| | Fighting for the Forgotten North | 1. Julie Watson 2. Peter Harris 3. Gary Blaschke | 4,012 | 10.6 | |
| | Greens | 1. Sue Wynn 2. Greg Simmonds 3. Anna Durkin | 2,938 | 7.8 | −1.4 |
| | Save Tuggerah Lakes | 1. Helaine Taylor 2. Cheryl Deguara 3. Steve Beton | 1,633 | 4.3 | |
| | Independent | Michael McCarthy | 433 | 1.1 | |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 37,864 | 91.2 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | | 8.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 82.2 | |

### Gosford East

2017 New South Wales local elections: Gosford East Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | 1. Rebecca Gale-Collins (elected 1) 2. Kerryanne Delaney 3. Colin Marchant | 14,165 | 37.4 | +0.3 |
| | Labor | 1. Jeff Sundstrom (elected 2) 2. Victoria Collins 3. Jim Macfadyen | 8,412 | 22.2 | +2.9 |
| | Central Coast NEW Independents | 1. Jane Smith (elected 1) 2. Mitchell Lawler 3. Sue Chidgey | 4,977 | 13.1 | |
| | Greens | 1. Stephen Pearson 2. Robina Sinclair 3. Terry Jones | 3,819 | 10.1 | −0.1 |
| | Next Generation Independents | 1. Claire Braund 2. Diane Bull 3. Danielle Habib | 2,789 | 7.4 | |
| | Save Tuggerah Lakes | 1. Patrick Aiken 2. Gary Lindahl 3. Denis Whitnall | 1,973 | 5.2 | |
| | Independent | Carol Fortey | 1,715 | 4.5 | |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 37,850 | 93.1 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | | 6.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 81.3 | |

### Gosford West

2017 New South Wales local elections: Gosford West Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labor | 1. Richard Mehrtens (elected 1) 2. Vicki Scott 3. Brad Ernst | 9,694 | 25.6 | +2.1 |
| | Liberal | 1. Troy Marquart (elected 2) 2. Sue Dengate 3. Jack Wilson | 8,416 | 22.2 | −11.7 |
| | Independent | 1. Chris Holstein (elected 3) 2. Lorraine Wilson 3. Bob Puffett | 6920 | 18.3 | |
| | Greens | 1. Kate da Costa 2. Ruth Herman 3. Wendy Rix | 3,835 | 10.1 | −0.7 |
| | Central Coast NEW Independents | 1. Gary Chestnut 2. Farren Thornycroft 3. Lisa Wriley 4. Jean MacLeod | 3,676 | 9.7 | |
| | Independent | 1. Gabby Greyem 2. Helen Macnair 3. Sarah Rimmer | 6,920 | 7.8 | |
| | Save Tuggerah Lakes | 1. Carl Veugen 2. Daniel Johnson 3. John Caska | 1,380 | 3.6 | |
| | Animal Justice | Skyla Wagstaff | 544 | 1.4 | |
| | Independent | Christine Keene | 414 | 1.1 | |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 37,837 | 91.9 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | | 8.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 81.6 | |

### The Entrance

2017 New South Wales local elections: The Entrance Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labor | 1. Lisa Matthews (elected 1) 2. Greg Ashe 3. Margot Castles | 10,481 | 27.7 | +8.9 |
| | Liberal | 1. Jilly Pilon (elected 2) 2. Deanna Bocking 3. Brian Perrem | 10,001 | 26.4 | −1.0 |
| | Independent | Bruce McLachlan (elected 3) | 7,859 | 20.7 | |
| | Greens | 1. Cath Connor 2. Doug Williamson 3. Barbara Gorman | 4,242 | 11.2 | +3.7 |
| | Save Tuggerah Lakes | 1. Lloyd Taylor 2. Glenn Clarke 3. Matthew Young | 3,375 | 8.9 | |
| | Independent | Nathan Bracken | 1,348 | 3.6 | |
| | Sustainable Development | Kylie Boyle | 407 | 1.1 | |
| | Independent | Aaron Harpley-Carr | 171 | 0.5 | |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 37,884 | 93.5 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | | 6.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 82.5 | |

### Wyong

2017 New South Wales local elections: Wyong Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labor | 1. Kyle MacGregor (elected 1) 2. Ruth Punch 3. Narelle Rich | 12,291 | 32.2 | +9.7 |
| | Central Coast NEW Independents | 1. Louise Greenaway (elected 2) 2. Laurie Eyes 3. John Wiggin | 11,121 | 29.1 | |
| | Liberal | 1. Chris Burke (elected 3) 2. Kishen Napier 3. James Wood | 7,862 | 20.6 | −9.0 |
| | Independent | 1. Doug Eaton 2. Troy Stolz 3. Phil Collis | 4,094 | 10.7 | |
| | Save Tuggerah Lakes | 1. Adam Troy 2. Kaylene Troy 3. Amber Davis | 2,625 | 6.9 | |
| | Independent | Sean Hooper | 213 | 0.6 | |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 38,206 | 91.6 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | | 8.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 82.1 | |

## Aftermath

In October 2020, it was revealed that the council was unable to pay 2,000 staff, and the council had a debt of $89 million. On 26 October 2020, Liberal councillors Rebecca Gale-Collins and Troy Marquart resigned, stating they sought to "differentiat[e] themselves from those councillors wishing to show due cause to the minister as to why they should remain in local government".
On 30 October 2020, then-local government minister Shelley Hancock announced the immediate suspension of the council and the appointment of former senior public servant Dick Persson as the new interim administrator. At the commencement of the administration period, debt has reached just under $350 million.
Persson was succeeded as administrator by former acting CEO Rik Hart on 13 May 2021. As a result of being in administration, no election took place for Central Coast in 2021.