Joanna Gash and supporters celebrate the victory at Bomaderry Bowling Club. Picutre: ANTHONY MCDONOUGH
SHOALHAVEN
Gilmore MP Joanna Gash is the Shoalhaven's first female mayor following a landslide victory at Saturday's Shoalhaven City Council election.
Mrs Gash secured a record breaking 63 per cent of the mayoral vote, with long-serving councillor Greg Watson a distant second on 14 per cent.
MERCURY SAYS: Gash faces test after striking win
With postal votes still to be counted and preferences to be allocated Team Gash has already secured at least six spots on the new council.
On Saturday night Mrs Gash celebrated the win with supporters in a small room at the Bomaderry Bowling Club.
The Liberal Federal MP contested the council election as an independent and said among her supporters with her on Saturday night would have been just "a handful" of Liberal Party members.
"You would find very few Liberal Party members here tonight, but I have always had people from across the board offer to come out and help and that has always been important to me."
Mrs Gash said she was very proud to be the Shoalhaven's first female mayor.
"I hope it encourages other women to stand for council," she said.
"We specifically had a gender mix and an age mix on our tickets, and I believe you need a mix on council to work through issues."
She said the campaign had taken a toll.
"As I said before this was the most personal election I've ever been involved with," she said.
"It has not been easy, I have never had more personal attacks in all my time in politics.
"I have broad shoulders ... I think in some cases they went too far for the sake of the political game my opponents chose to play.
"I've learned to believe in yourself, believe what you are doing is right and continue to look after the community."
Mrs Gash said she did not see the landslide win as a mandate, "but people have voted for change and we need to provide change".
The Federal MP said she was not expecting a legal challenge to her holding dual roles, but was confident in her position should a challenge be launched.
She said she would continue with her village visits in the northern part of her electorate, but said Ann Sudmalis was now the pre-selected Liberal candidate "and is out there looking after the northern areas such as Kiama and Shellharbour which is very important so they didn't miss out".
Cr Watson said the overall result was what he expected.
"The council has to knuckle down and work together, whether Mrs Gash can work with people who ran opposition campaigns I don't know," Cr Watson said.
The councillor vote is unlikely to be finalised until later this week. In Ward One, Team Gash's John Wells and Lynn Kearney have been elected. Former councillor and Shoalhaven Independent Jim McCrudden is likely to return, with current deputy-mayor Andrew Guile and Greens Terry Barratt still fighting for a place.
In Ward Two, Team Gash's Jemma Tribe and Clive Robertson are in and Karen Anstiss is likely to join them. Cr Watson is expected to have enough votes to enjoy a 39th year on council.
In Ward Three, Greens Amanda Findley was re-elected and will be joined by Team Gash's Allan Baptist and Patricia White and Watson candidate Mark Kitchener.
