2021 Alice Springs local elections

The 2021 Alice Springs local elections were held on 28 August 2021 to elect eight councillors and a mayor to the Town of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.[1] The elections were held as part of local government elections across the entire territory.[2]

Main article: 2021 Northern Territory local elections
2021 Alice Springs local elections
28 August 2021
Mayoral election
  First party Second party Third party
 
Candidate Matt Paterson Jimmy Cocking Eli Melky
Party Independent Independent Independent
Popular vote 2,418 3,101 1,959
Percentage 24.71% 33.73% 20.02%
TCP 50.01% 49.99%
  Fourth party Fifth party
 
Candidate Marli Banks Steve Brown
Party Independent Country Liberal
Popular vote 695 559
Percentage 7.10% 5.71%
Mayor before election

Damien Ryan
Country Liberal

 Elected Mayor

Matt Paterson
Independent

Council election
All 8 seats in the Town Council
4 seats needed for a majority
PartyLeader % Seats +/–
Independents — 7
Country Liberal — 1

Background
Further information: 2021 Northern Territory local elections § Party changes before elections

Ahead of the 2020 Northern Territory general election, three Alice Springs councillors - Marli Banks, Eli Melky and Catherine Satour - joined the Australian Federation Party, with Melky as the party's NT leader.[3] However, all three left the party by the time of the 2021 local elections.[1]

Additionally, Matt Paterson was a Territory Alliance candidate, however he left the party around the time it dissolved following the 2020 election.[1]

Results

Mayoral election
2021 Alice Springs local elections: Mayor
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Jimmy Cocking 3,101
Independent Matt Paterson 2,418
Independent Eli Melky 1,959
Independent Marli Banks 695
Country Liberal Steve Brown 559
Independent Greens Blair McFarland 356
Independent Aaron Blacker 346
Independent Patrick Bedford 240
Independent Wayne Wright 63
Independent Angus McIvor 49
Total formal votes 9,786
Turnout 58.68 −12.32
Two-candidate-preferred result
Independent Matt Paterson 4,894 50.01
Independent Jimmy Cocking 4,892 49.99
Independent gain from Country Liberal Swing

Council election
2021 Alice Springs local elections: Council
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Jimmy Cocking (elected 1) 2,595
Independent Eli Melky (elected 2) 1,366
Independent Mark Coffey (elected 3) 1,089
Independent Marli Banks (elected 4) 487
Country Liberal Steve Brown (elected 5) 473
Greens Emily Webster 436
Independent Michael Liddle (elected 8) 425
Independent Allison Bitar (elected 7) 385
Independent Kim Hopper (elected 6) 372
Country Liberal Sean Heenan 347
Independent Aaron Blacker 336
Independent Catherine Satour 326
Independent Darren Burton 240
Independent Patrick Bedford 229
Independent James Dash 48
Independent Wayne Wright 48
Independent Angus McIvor 44
Total formal votes 9,246 90.1
Informal votes 1,015 9.9
Turnout 58.68 −12.32

Aftermath

The mayoral election was decided by just two votes, the closest result that Northern Territory Electoral Commissioner Iain Loganathan said he had ever seen.[4]

Unsuccessful candidate Jimmy Cocking requested a new recount, but it was rejected by the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal in October 2021.[5]

References
  1. "Alice Springs Election 2021: Meet the candidates running for mayor". ABC News.
  2. "Alice Springs - Mayor". Northern Territory Electoral Commission.
  3. "Federation Party NT names Central Australia candidates, two Alice town councillors in the mix". NT Independent.
  4. "Two votes decide Alice Springs mayoral race". ABC News.
  5. "NTCAT rejects Jimmy Cocking's bid for new recount of Alice Springs mayoral vote". ABC News.
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