2025 Central Darling Shire election
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3 of the 6 seats on Central Darling Shire Council[a] 4 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Turnout | 484 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2025 Central Darling Shire election was held on 20 September 2025 to elect the three elected members of Central Darling Shire Council, a local government area (LGA) in the Far West region of New South Wales.
The election was the first in over a decade after the council was placed into administration in 2014. The council has been reorganised to a "Regional and Remote Council" structure in which half the council is elected and the other half is appointed by the New South Wales Government.[1]
Administration
Central Darling Shire was placed into administration in 2014 following numerous structural and financial issues.[2]
The LGA was planned to come out of administration at the 2020 local elections (which were delayed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), however the administration period was extended in 2019 by another 4 years.[3]
Bob Stewart served as administrator for 6 years and told the ABC that the council "lacked the governance processes, the systems [and] the financial capacity. We had to rebuild all that." Lack of inclusion of indigenous people in council planning was also flagged by him as a significant issue.[4]
Regional and Remote Council structure
The Local Government Amendment (Rural and Remote Councils) Act 2024, which amended the Local Government Act 1993, was passed by the New South Wales Parliament on the 19th of September 2024 and assented to on the 30th.[5]
This amendment created the Rural and Remote Council structure, which are composed of a mix of councillors elected by the citizens of the LGA and councillors appointed by the Minister for Local Government. These appointed councillors must have experience in local government administration, financial management, emergency management and governance, conservation, environmental sustainability and climate change adaption, and be able to represent the interests of the local Aboriginal population.[6]
The Minister is also responsible for appointing one of the appointed councillors as Chairperson of council, a role filled by the Mayor in other New South Wales LGAs. The office of Deputy Chairperson is elected by the council, in much the same way that Deputy Mayors are elected across the rest of the state.[7][8]
Election
On 18 June 2025, the New South Wales Office of Local Government announced an election date of 20 September alongside a $6 Million investment into the LGA over two years.[9]
Wards
Key dates
- Issue of writ –
- Close of roll – 11 August 2025; 6pm
- Nominations open – 11 August 2025
- Postal vote applications open – 12 August 2025
- Nominations close – 20 August 2025; 12 noon
- Nominations declared – 21 August 2025
- Pre-poll voting opens – 15 September 2025
- Postal vote applications close – 15 September 2025
- Election day – 20 September 2025; 8am – 6pm
- Postal vote returns close – 10 October 2025; 6pm
- Distribution of Preferences – 13 October 2025
- Declaration of results – 14 October 2025[12]
Candidates
A Ward candidates
| Party | Candidate | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independent Indigenous-Aboriginal | Owen Douglas Whyman | Founder and Convenor of the Indigenous-Aboriginal Party of Australia. Lead Senate candidate in NSW at the 2022 federal elections and state candidate for Barwon in 2019. | |
| Independent | Aunty Monica Jean Kerwin | Barkandji woman and resident of The Mallee, Wilcannia.[13][14] | |
| Independent | Rhonda Lee Hynch | Chairperson of the Wilcannia Community Working Party and Chair of the Baaka Cultural Centre.[15][16] | |
| Independent | Peter Geoffrey Sullivan | Former Councillor and final Deputy Mayor before the council was placed into administration.[17] | |
B Ward candidates
| Party | Candidate | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independent National | Maxwell James Bradley | Ivanhoe resident. Member of the National Party.[18] | |
| Unaligned | Robert Alister Vagg OAM | Non-residential registered in Ivanhoe.[19] Former councillor of more than 30 years.[20] | |
| Independent | Sacha-Rachelle Sullivan | White Cliffs resident. International Business Owner & Operater.[21][22] | |
| Independent | Fay Elizabeth Johnstone | Ngiyampaa - Baarkintji woman and resident of Ivanhoe.[23]
Aboriginal Education Assistant at Invahoe Central School, Member of the Ivanhoe Health Advisory Council, and Board member of the Mount Grenfell Historic Site Management Committee. Former Director of the Murdi Paaki Regional Housing Board and the Western Aboriginal Legal Service.[24] | |
| Independent | Peter Francis Crawford | White Cliffs resident and handyman.[25][26] | |
C Ward candidates
| Party | Candidate | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Daniel John Fusi | Menindee resident and teacher at Menindee Central School.[27][28][29][30][31] | |