Deputy steps up

Mayor Peter Feasey.

The 2023 City of Kwinana Local Government Election, held on Saturday 21 October 2023, received a total of 8834 votes cast for Mayor which saw Deputy Mayor Peter Feasey chosen by the community to step up and take over the mayoral reins from Carol Adams.

There were also five councillor positions available which were determined by 9036 formal votes and saw the positions filled by the re-election of current Crs Michael James Brown and Sheri Wood and welcomed new Crs David Acker, Ivy Penny and Erin Sargeant.

Chief executive officer Wayne Jack congratulated the new Mayor Peter Feasey and the five successful councillors and acknowledged their fair and professionally run election campaigns.

“Peter has been a well-known and respected member of the Kwinana community since joining council in 2007. He was elected to Deputy Mayor in 2013 and has diligently served the Kwinana community under the guidance of Mayor Adams, but last night the community spoke and acknowledged that Peter was the right choice to take over the legacy left by Carol and take Kwinana into the future,“ Mr Jack said.

“Thank you to all the community members who took the time to vote and be a part of this very important democratic process and a big congratulations to all candidates involved in this year’s City of Kwinana Local Government Election. I’m looking forward to working with this new council to continue to strive to make the City of Kwinana the great place it is.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to say farewell to outgoing Mayor Carol Adams and retiring Councillor Denis Wood for their dedication and service to the Kwinana community, I wish you all the best of luck with your future endeavours,“ he said.

This election was conducted via the new voting system of operational preferential voting (OPV), a move away from the previous first-past-the-post voting system of the past. This determined the new Mayor as well as the four, four-year-term councillor positions and the one two-year term position available left vacant by the resignation of Mayor Carol Adams. The count spilled over the next day, with the Mayoral vote finalised by the Western Australian Electoral Commission on Sunday, 22 October 2023 and the Councillor vote finalised on Monday, 23 October 2023.