2022 South Australian local elections
12 November 2022
Registered1,243,661
TurnoutIncrease 1.60%

The 2022 South Australian local elections were held on 12 November 2022 to elect the councils of 66 of the 68 local government areas (LGAs) in South Australia. Many councils also held mayoral elections.[1]

The elections were conducted by the Electoral Commission of South Australia. Starting at these elections, roadside election corflutes were banned.[2]

The number of people on the electoral roll increased from 1,208,858 at the 2018 elections to 1,243,661 in 2022.[3]

As per usual, no election was scheduled in Roxby Council as it is served by an administrator who performs all the functions of a council.[4] The election in Coober Pedy was not held as the council had been suspended in January 2019.[5]

Party changes before elections

A number of councillors joined or left parties before the 2022 elections.

CouncilWardCouncillorFormer partyNew partyDate
Marion Mayor Kris Hanna   SA-Best   Independent Post-November 2018
West Torrens Airport Jassmine Wood   SA-Best   Independent Post-November 2018
Port Lincoln Unsubdivided Andrea Broadfoot   Centre Alliance   Independent Post-May 2019
Barunga West Unsubdivided Rebecca Hewett   Conservatives   Independent 25 June 2019
Onkaparinga Knox Heidi Greaves   Conservatives   Independent 25 June 2019
Adelaide South Henry Davis   Liberal   Independent 19 March 2022
Port Pirie Unsubdivided Ali Gulin   Liberal   Independent 29 June 2022
Berri Barmera Area Councillors Meta Sindos   Liberal   Independent 30 June 2022
Holdfast Bay Somerton William Miller   Liberal   Independent 30 June 2022
Streaky Bay Flinders Travis Barber   Liberal   Independent July 2022
Mount Gambier Unsubdivided Sonya Mezinec   Labor   Independent 30 July 2022

Elections timeline

  • 29 July – Close of electoral roll
  • 23 August – Nominations open
  • 6 September – Nominations close
  • 14–20 October – Mailout of ballot papers to voters
  • 10 November – Close of voting
  • 12 November – Vote counting begins

Results

Aftermath

After only 34.54% of eligible voters turned out for the elections, compared with 32.94% in 2018, SA-Best MP Frank Pangallo called for compulsory voting and a requirement that all voters must be Australian citizens.[6] There were also calls to reform the timing of local elections so that they don't occur in the same year as the state election.[7]

As a result of 16 vacancies not filled at the elections, eight separate councils were forced to hold supplementary elections in 2023.[8]

On 15 December 2022, unsuccessful lord mayoral candidate Rex Patrick appealed the results with a petition in the Court of Disputed Returns and requested the lord mayoral and Central Ward elections in Adelaide be declared invalid.[9]

One Nation had their first local election victory in SA, with Carlos Quaremba elected as a councillor in Victor Harbor.[10]

The ECSA launched an investigation after Salisbury candidate and councillor Severina Burner offered voters to "fill in your ballots and hand them in".[11] She was later removed as a councillor in June 2023 for separate comments.[12]

By-elections and countbacks

By-elections

The ECSA held supplementary elections in March 2023 in 10 different LGAs to fill council seats that were left vacant following the 2022 elections.[13]

Council Ward Before Change Result after preference distribution
Councillor Party Cause Date Date Party Candidate %
Copper Coast Unsubdivided N/A N/A Not enough nominations at 2022 election 12 November 2022 March 2023 Independent Matthew Stock 60.06
Independent Dominica Thomson 39.94
Kimba Unsubdivided N/A N/A Not enough nominations at 2022 election 12 November 2022 March 2023 Independent Francene Francis 89.96
Independent Dianne McDonald 10.64
Kingston Mayor N/A N/A No nominations at 2022 election 12 November 2022 March 2023 Independent Jeff Pope N/A
Elected unopposed
Mount Remarkable Willochra N/A N/A Not enough nominations at 2022 election 12 November 2022 March 2023 Ind. Liberal Dan van Holst Pellekaan 75.07
Independent Trevor Bornholm[lower-alpha 1] 10.63
Northern Areas Broughton N/A N/A Not enough nominations at 2022 election 12 November 2022 March 2023 Independent Keith Pluckrose 59.55
Independent Brendan Fitzgerald 40.45
Robe Mayor N/A N/A No nominations at 2022 election 12 November 2022 March 2023 Ind. Liberal Lisa Ruffell N/A
Elected unopposed
Southern Mallee Unsubdivided N/A N/A Not enough nominations at 2022 election 12 November 2022 March 2023 Independent Christopher Mead[lower-alpha 2] 36.67
Independent Campbell Michell[lower-alpha 2] 17.65
Independent David Smith[lower-alpha 2] 11.64
Independent Trevor Pocock[lower-alpha 2] 6.38
Independent Luke Kennedy[lower-alpha 2] 4.13
Streaky Bay Eyre N/A N/A Not enough nominations at 2022 election 12 November 2022 March 2023 Independent Guy La China N/A
Elected unopposed
Tumby Bay Unsubdivided N/A N/A Not enough nominations at 2022 election 12 November 2022 March 2023 Independent Julie Ann Elliott[lower-alpha 3] 35.86
Independent Trevor Smith[lower-alpha 3] 18.10
Independent Fiona Ward[lower-alpha 3] 12.07
Independent Ross Hudson[lower-alpha 3] 7.84
Kimba Unsubdivided N/A N/A Not enough nominations at 2022 election 12 November 2022 March 2023 Independent Dennis Petty 64.79
Independent Craig Walladge 35.21
Flinders Ranges Unsubdivided Clinton Ryks-Jones Independent Resignation 6 June 2023 24 July 2023 Independent Greg Flint 51.83
Independent Dave Wallis 48.17

Countbacks

Council Ward Before Change After
Councillor Party Cause Date Date Councillor Party
Tea Tree Gully Drumminor Damian Wyld   Independent Liberal Resignation due to illness 16 November 2023 28 November 2023 Lyn Petrie   Independent Liberal
Berri Barmera Area Councillor Rhonda Centofanti   Independent Died 3 December 2023 TBA TBA   TBA

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Second-placed on primary vote as the by-election did not require preference distribution.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Five vacancies on council, meaning five candidates were elected - this shows their primary vote before preference distribution.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Four vacancies on council, meaning five candidates were elected - this shows their primary vote before preference distribution.

References

  1. ↑ "Council Elections". Electoral Commission SA. Archived from the original on 3 January 2024.
  2. ↑ "Corflutes banned from 2022 SA local government elections". The Advertiser.
  3. ↑ "2022 Council Elections Project". Local Government Association of South Australia.
  4. ↑ "About Roxby Council". Roxby Council.
  5. ↑ "Coober Pedy local council suspended over maladministration finding and rising debts". ABC News.
  6. ↑ "Council elections 2022: Calls for compulsory voting and reforms to stop national security threats".
  7. ↑ "'Voter fatigue': Call to reform local government election timing". InDaily.
  8. ↑ "Eight SA councils to go back to the polls are failing to find enough candidates". The Advertiser.
  9. ↑ "Rex Patrick to appeal against Adelaide lord mayoral election result over ballot concerns". ABC News.
  10. ↑ "One Nation candidate visits the region". The Border Watch.
  11. ↑ "Salisbury councillor Severina Burner under investigation by the Electoral Commission of SA". The Advertiser.
  12. ↑ "Salisbury councillors Grace Bawden, Severina Burner removed after special meeting". ABC News.
  13. ↑ "2023 supplementary council elections - timetable". Electoral Commission SA.
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