Cessnock will have a new mayor but it appears the Labor streak may continue, with Jay Suvaal in prime position to claim the mayoralty.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The first term councillor had 42.3 per cent of the vote on Sunday, ahead of long-term Independent councillor Ian Olsen, who had 27.14 per cent with about a third of the votes counted.
With Labor mayor Bob Pynsent's retirement, the door became open for a new contender.
Cr Suvaal said he didn't expect the final outcome to be too different to how it is now, but the makeup of the wards was more up in the air.
The party is hopeful of retaining its absolute majority, with the Liberals and Cr Olsen's Independents pushing for the remainder of seats.
Cr Suvaal said addressing the road maintenance backlog and traffic congestion were high on his priority list, as well as improving connectivity, with more shared pathways linking to the city's improved parks.
IN THE NEWS:
- Hunter workers and politicians rally around teachers before strike
- Our hidden gems: Three adventurous tours that unveil Newcastle
- Kay Fraser declares mayoral victory in Lake Macquarie
- Nuatali Nelmes declares lord mayoral winner for Newcastle
- Valentino Yuel stars as Jets come from behind to draw 2-2 with Sydney FC
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark: newcastleherald.com.au
- Download our app
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News
Sage Swinton
Sage Swinton is a news reporter who was born and bred in the Hunter. She has been with the Newcastle Herald since June 2020, and covers Newcastle council as well as other general news.
Sage Swinton is a news reporter who was born and bred in the Hunter. She has been with the Newcastle Herald since June 2020, and covers Newcastle council as well as other general news.
