Here’s how your Goldfields councils will shape up for the next two years

Some changed, some stayed the same is the catch of popular The Pretenders earworm Hymn to Her, and it neatly sums up the fallout from the 2019 local government elections in the Goldfields-Esperance region.

The region’s biggest electorate, Kalgoorlie-Boulder had little appetite for change, with all four existing councillors and the incumbent mayor voted back in alongside three new faces.

Elsewhere it got a little more interesting. Deputy presidents fell in Esperance and Wiluna, and a few long-serving councillors lost their seats too.

This is how the night panned out for our local governments holding elections.

Kalgoorlie-Boulder

Maintaining the status quo was the order of the day in Kalgoorlie-Boulder. Right from the first votes it was clear returning councillors Lisa Malicky and Glenney Wilson were as safe as houses.

By the end of the night Ms Malicky attracted more than 11 per cent of the vote. She was backed by 3845 out of 16560 electors.

There was no shock for radio jock Mr Wilson either, finishing well clear of the pack with 10.75 per cent, 3672 votes.

The two other councillors up for re-election, Mandy Reidy and Deborah Botica, had to wait longer to be sure of their seats. Ms Reidy garnered 8.11 per cent and Ms Botica 7.77 per cent to be the final candidate across the line.

The above four will be joined by three new faces in former WA Nationals MP David Grills (8.91 per cent), Goldfields Individual and Family Support Association chief executive Robert Hicks (8.75 per cent) and small business owner Terrence Winner (8.11 per cent).

The much-hyped mayoral contest ended up a one-sided affair as more than half of the vote fell John Bowler’s way.

Mr Bowler’s 3008 votes outweighed the combined totals of his main rivals in Suzie Williams (1445 votes) and Pam Townsend, nee O’Donnell (967 votes).

John Katahanas finished the night on 380 votes, 100 more than his last tilt for the job in 2015.

Ian Burt attracted just 87 votes, nearly 300 fewer than 2015.

Esperance

It will be an all-new leadership team at the Shire of Esperance following president Victoria Brown’s retirement and deputy president Natalie Bowman’s defeat on Saturday night.

Ms Bowman polled third behind former president Ian Mickel, 1110 votes, and Wes Graham, 758 votes, in the rural ward.

To continue the poor showing for sitting councillors in Esperance, Town ward representative Ron Padgurskis also lost his seat.

In place of Mr Padgurskis and two retiring members, will be three fresh faces in Ron Chambers, Jennifer Obourne and Jo-Anne O’Donnell.

Up until Saturday morning it was looking likely that Esperance’s vote would be well down but a late surge on the day resulted in 58.3 per cent of rural and 45 per cent of town residents returning their ballots.

On the jetty issue, Mr Mickle and Ms O’Donnell want the situation resolved as a priority. Ms Obourne has shown strong support for the former council’s position on the campaign trail.

Coolgardie

It was a case of two in, one out in the all-female affair at the Shire of Coolgardie.

Deputy president Tracey Rathbone and Kathie Lindup retained their spots on council for another four years but fellow incumbent Betty Logan lost out to Tammee Keast.

Ms Rathbone, a Kambalda resident, led the night with 366 votes, followed by fellow Kambalda resident Ms Lindup with 296 votes.

Ms Lindup was first elected in 2011, and Ms Rathbone in 2015. It will be Ms Keast’s first time sitting around the table, after missing out in the 2015 vote. Ms Logan’s defeat ends a 10-year stint as councillor.

Voter turnout roughly mirrored the 2015 election at 33 per cent, with 564 of 1723 ballot papers returned.

Menzies

With an elector list totalling just 230, Menzies was always going to wrap up quickly.

Voters in the rural ward appeared happy with the previous council’s efforts.

Deputy president Ian Baird and Debbie Hansen were comfortably return to their rural ward seats with 24 and 25 votes respectively.

Walling Rock Station pastoralist Keith Mader narrowly lost his town ward seat to local Aboriginal woman Vashti Ashwin.

Of 123 rural ward electors, 27 ballot papers were returned, equating to 22.76 per cent voter turnout.

More than half of Town ward electors voted.

Ravensthorpe

The Shire of Ravensthorpe will welcome two new councillors to the table following Saturday night’s election.

Ravensthorpe farmer Mark Mudie comfortably won the night with 24.16 per cent of the vote.

Fellow farmer Kenneth Norman will return to council after a hiatus in 2017. He polled 15.83 per cent, or 302 votes.

Mr Mudie and Mr Norman will join re-elected councillors Ian Goldfinch and incumbent president Keith Dunlop.

A relatively high 10 per cent of Ravensthorpe residents voted late, lifting turnout from 45 to 54 per cent on election night. The changes come at the expense of Peter Smith and Kerry Dickinson, who have both lost their seats.

It leaves Ravensthorpe with a sole female sitting on council in deputy president Jules Belli.

Wiluna

Deputy president Stacey Petterson has lost her seat in the northern Goldfields shire of Wiluna.

Ms Petterson tallied 19 votes, 4 per cent short of fourth-placed Ane Koroicure.

Norma Ward was returned to her position, and will be joined by Timothy Carmody, Brodie Sawyer and Ms Koroicure.

Ms Ward has served on and off the council in Wiluna since the 1980s.

Forty-one of 179 ballot papers were returned in Wiluna.