2022 South Australian local elections

For the state election held in March, see 2022 South Australian state election.

2022 South Australian local elections

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| <- 2018 | 12 November 2022 | 2026 ->

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Registered| 1,243,661
Turnout|  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

[edit]

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

Council | Ward | Councillor | Former party | New party | Date

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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

[edit]

* 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

[edit]

Main article: Results of the 2022 South Australian local elections

## Aftermath

[edit]

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

[edit]

### By-elections

[edit]

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

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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[a] | 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[b] | 36.67
| Independent | Campbell Michell[b] | 17.65
| Independent | David Smith[b] | 11.64
| Independent | Trevor Pocock[b] | 6.38
| Independent | Luke Kennedy[b] | 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[c] | 35.86
| Independent | Trevor Smith[c] | 18.10
| Independent | Fiona Ward[c] | 12.07
| Independent | Ross Hudson[c] | 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

[edit]

Council  | Ward  | Before  | Change  | After

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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

[edit]

* 2022 Adelaide City Council election

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Second-placed on primary vote as the by-election did not require preference distribution.
2. ^ a b c d e Five vacancies on council, meaning five candidates were elected - this shows their primary vote before preference distribution.
3. ^ a b c d Four vacancies on council, meaning five candidates were elected - this shows their primary vote before preference distribution.

## References

[edit]

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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