NT local elections: Greens lead in Alice Springs (for now) and big swings in Darwin
- 6 News Australia
- Aug 24
- 3 min read
The latest updates on the Northern Territory's local government elections following the first night of counting.
The first night of counting in the NT's local government elections has seen some big results, but with no preferences distributed yet, we'll still be waiting some time to confirm results.
The NTEC says 119,976 early votes, election day votes and mobile votes (remote and urban) have been counted (this includes both mayoral and councillor ballots). A total of 71,992 eligible voters have voted at early voting, mobile voting (remote and urban) and returned postal votes representing a turnout of 54% following the end of the night's counting.
6,548 postal votes were issued and there remains 3,952 to be returned to the NTEC by noon on 5 September. Counting resumes commence at 9:30am local time in Darwin and 10:00am local time in Alice Springs tomorrow.
This means we have the majority of votes from the 151,035 enrolled voters across the territory already counted. Because of the typically lower turnout in local elections, many counts displaying at around "50% counted" already have almost all votes counted.
Here are some of the key results:
Alice Springs
In the Alice Springs mayoral race, Greens-endorsed candidate Asta Hill has a lead on primary votes with 49.6% counted. Hill has 32.6% of primary votes, followed by longtime councillor Eli Melky (31.5%), Independent CLP candidate Lisa-Marie Burgoyne (21.7%), Louis Miller (5.7%), Michelle Pettit (4.3%), Wayne Wright (2.4%) and Paul Cato (1.7%).
While Hill does have the lead, which fluctuated throughout Saturday night's count, it's still going to be very tough to win based on the expected preference flows that Melky will get from many Burgoyne voters.
In the council race, the Greens will win at least one seat, with Hill polling 19.4% in that race (more than all other candidates). Fellow Greens candidate Aia Newport only has 1.4%, but would likely win if Hill wins the mayoralty and gets excluded from the councillor race.
Darwin
Darwin's Lord Mayor race could see a shock final result, with two-term incumbent Kon Vatskalis on 20.6% of primary votes, trailing former deputy chief minister Peter Styles, who has 23%. While preference flows will be complicated given there's 11 other candidates in the race, this primary vote result represents a huge swing of 36.6% against Vatskalis.
In Chan Ward, the Greens are sitting fourth in the three-member seat that they've held since 2008. Incumbent councillor Ed Smelt (Independent Labor) has 28.7%, Julie Fraser has 24.8%, Peter Pangquee has 13.5%, while Greens candidate Ellyane Wall has 10.2%.
If Styles doesn't win the Lord Mayor election, he's got a solid chance in Richardson Ward. He has 23.5%, behind Independent Labor incumbent Jimmy Bouhoris on 28.3% but ahead of Shani Carson on 22.9% and Edwin Joseph on 17%.
Katherine
In the mayoral race in Katherine, where incumbent Lis Clark is not running, Joanna Holden is ahead of the other six candidates with a 41% primary vote, followed by Mel Doyle at 13.5% and Wayne Connop at 11.8%.
Litchfield
Litchfield mayor Doug Barden (Independent CLP) is currently second on primary votes at 30.1%, behind challenger Rachael Wright at 39%.
But he shouldn't be ruled out of the count yet, as he won the mayoralty in 2021 with a 54% two-candidate-preferred vote after coming second on primary votes with 22.7%.
Palmerston
6 News projects incumbent mayor Athina Pascoe-Bell is comfortably re-elected with 50.4% of primary votes, based on 48% of votes counted.
