There will be more fresh faces than familiar ones in the Newcastle council chamber next year and the incoming debutants are hoping to hit the ground running.
The election result declared yesterday confirmed the new council would be made up of seven newbies and six returned councillors. By ward, they are:
Ward 1: Declan Clausen (ALP), John Church (IND) and John Mackenzie (GRN); Ward 2: Carol Duncan (ALP), Jenny Barrie (LIB) and Charlotte McCabe (GRN); Ward 3: Peta Winney-Baartz, Margaret Wood (ALP) and Katrina Wark (LIB); Ward 4: Deahnna Richardson, Elizabeth Adamczyk (ALP) and Callum Pull (LIB); and Lord Mayor: Nuatali Nelmes (ALP).
Labor retains its majority, which Cr Nelmes said showed it had been recognised "for standing up and making tough decisions that have finally allowed Newcastle to flourish". Asked how she would ensure decisions reflected all views, she said the city had "transformed over the last seven years under a majority progressive council inclusive of different political backgrounds".
All seven of the new councillors - Richardson, Morris, Wood, Barrie, Wark, Pull and McCabe - are entering local government for the first time.
Cr Barrie described her party's result as a "great success" and said the "Liberal brand" was "strong again in Newcastle". She said the federal Coalition's renewed focus on the region might have "slightly" helped, but the election of three Liberals was primarily because of "people wanting change" on council.
Data tabled at the final council meeting before the election showed the Liberals' sole councillor last term did not table a single motion, but Ms Barrie said she wanted to try to get some projects "up into budget straight away".
The Liberals would aim to "influence a vision, work with the other councillors and ensure our businesses are supported", she said.
Charlotte McCabe, who plans to advocate for better cycleways, action on the housing crisis, the environment and coastal erosion, believes the "track record" of returning Green John Mackenzie got her across the line.
"I hope people see that as Greens councillors ... do a good job, they realise a lot of the stereotypes about the Greens actually aren't true - we're not crazy, we're not radical, but actually our policies we have been talking about for decades are the ones that other parties now are starting to say, 'no we do actually need to take action on climate change, there is a huge problem about housing, there is a big problem about inequality'," she said.
Cr Wood, who claimed the final Ward 3 seat ahead of the Greens, said she was "encouraged by the spirit of collaboration that's been shown by all new councillors" so far.
