Former Barkly councillor Sid Vashist has been elected Mayor of the Barkly Regional Council, securing 54 per cent of votes after final counting.
The Barkly Regional Council will now undergo a fresh start following the dismissal of the entire council due to widespread governance failures and conflicts of interest. According to the NT Electoral Commission’s confirmation pan Monday morning, Mr Vashist outperformed runner-up Barb Shaw, who received 18.7 per cent of the votes.
Five councillors have been elected to the Patta ward: Greg Marlow, Sharen Lake, Pennie Cowin, Dianne Stokes, and Valda Napurrula Shannon. Valerie Campbell won the Alpurrurulam ward with 31 votes, while Lennie Barton and Ben Neade were elected to the Kuwarrangu ward.
In Alyawarr, four councillors were appointed without opposition, as only four candidates were willing to take on the role: Noel Hayes, Andrew Tsavaris, Darryl Rex Morton, and Zacieus Long.
“I’m humbled and incredibly grateful for the strong support I’ve received from our community,” Mr Vashist said.
Mr Vashist previously ran as Labor’s candidate for the Barkly electorate in 2020, but narrowly lost to Steve Edgington.
The Barkly council election signifies a new beginning for the local government after the entire council was dismissed in June following an investigation into bullying, harassment, and poor oversight.
A report covering the councillors’ conduct from January 2022 to October 2023 criticised their need for more understanding of their roles, inadequate decision-making, and mishandling of conflicts of interest.
Additionally, former Barkly mayor Jeffrey McLaughlin faced controversy after a video surfaced of him sitting on a 12-year-old Indigenous boy, claiming the child had broken into his home. Despite pressure to resign, he remained in office.
Another individual in the video received a three-month suspended sentence for aggravated assault against the child.
Barkly Regional Council encompasses an area of 322,713 square kilometres in the outback of the Territory, including the towns of Tennant Creek, Elliott, Ali Curung, and Alpurrurulam.
The election on November 2 saw low voter turnout, with under a third of the 4,503 eligible voters participating.
Barkly has lacked elected officials since the previous council was suspended over a year ago.
Mr Vashist said one of his primary goals as mayor would be to enhance the council’s workforce, enabling it to operate more effectively in the remote communities of the Barkly.
“The council always aspired towards being an employer of choice in the Barkly and if elected, this is something that I want to work with the operational team in delivering,” he said.
NT Electoral Commission official Greg Hibble expressed disappointment with the outcome.
“I wouldn’t like to guess why people aren’t voting,” Mr Hibble said.
The Electoral Commission plans to analyse the low voter turnout but has yet to do so.
Hmmm, could it be that the long-suffering residents of Trauma Creek have no interest in anything the council chooses to do or not do, hence the lack of voting numbers? Jobs continue to be advertised as if the BRC are an employer of choice, not the continual supporters of nepotism, corruption, and recruitment failures that have lurked constantly in recent history. There seems to be some amnesia regarding the Ruth Morley report, which outlines missing funds, HR issues, and other red flags that no one has publicly reconciled or addressed. My experience at BRC as a potential compliance manager was to be discriminated against, questioned about my personal life that was gender-based and treated in an adversarial manner during an interview process by a person still working there today. My merit for the position outweighed the successful applicant. Still, my ethnic background did not match those working there with decision-making power because First Nation Australians are not favoured to hold positions of power at BRC (check the stats). I sought an appeal through the interim Council CEO, the Mayor, the council body, NT Local Complaint Council Unit responsible for complaints, two NT Ministers and not one person gave a flying fuck about any of it. So recent lack of interest in voting could indicate I am one of many that of been screwed over in recent years by BRC, and it will keep going the way it has with recent scandals, allegations, and embarrassments continuing.
Good luck, Sid…lead well.