Central Highlands Council election completed

THE quirks of the preferential voting system have seen a likely new member of the Central Highlands Council pipped at the post. “Unfortunately, at the end of the day, 106 [votes] is less than 75,” unsuccessful candidate Rob Wilkinson wrote in a Facebook post yesterday.

Mr Wilkinson, of Doctors Point, at the northern end of Great Lake, was referring to the distribution of preferences which resulted in Hamilton’s Yvonne Miller being elected with 75 primary votes, ahead of himself with his 106 primary votes. He also posted an email from the Tasmanian Electoral Commission explaining that the distribution of mayor Lou Triffitt and deputy mayor Jim Allwright’s preferences had seen Ms Miller elected with a final tally of 202 votes ahead of his own 184.

At the conclusion of counting the 2012 votes cast in the election for nine councillors, the final tally was:

1. TRIFFITT, Loueen (Lou) 728 votes, 36.18%, 3.60 quotas
2. ALLWRIGHT, Jim 298 14.81% 1.48
3. BAILEY, Anthony (Tony) 159 7.90% 0.79
4. HALL, John 143 7.11% 0.71
5. CASSIDY, Robert L 134 6.66% 0.66
6. MEACHEAM, David 112 5.57% 0.55
7. HONNER, Julie 109 5.42% 0.54
8. WILKINSON, Rob 106 5.27% 0.52
9. BOWDEN, Scott 104 5.17% 0.51
10. MILLER, Yvonne 75 3.73% 0.37
11. ARCHER, Anthony 44 2.19% 0.22

After the distribution of preferences, the following were declared elected by the TEC: Lou Triffitt, Jim Allwright, Tony Bailey, Robert Cassidy, John Hall, Julie Honner, Scott Bowden, Yvonne Miller and David Meacheam.

Click here for full details of the Central Highlands Council election count.