John Bowler set to begin “last term” as Kalgoorlie-Boulder’s Mayor

Goldfields-Esperance residents have bucked a Statewide decline in voter turnout for the 2019 local government elections, with most districts recording returns above 30 per cent.

The average voter turnout across WA is expected to drop below 30 per cent, more than five per cent down from the last election in 2017.

A late surge on Saturday saw Kalgoorlie-Boulder’s council vote rise to 36.4 per cent, the best participation rate since 2003’s 38.2 per cent when Ron Yuryevich was re-elected Mayor.

This time it was John Bowler’s turn to be re-elected.

Mr Bowler said he was “immensely proud” and “very humbled” to have been re-elected for his second term as mayor and looked forward to working with both new and returning councillors over the next four years.

He thanked voters for taking the time to cast their ballot, saying more people had voted in the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder elections than in many other local government elections this weekend.

“A lot of councils around the State didn’t get the voter turnout we did so I think we did quite well,” he said.

Mr Bowler said while he would always be a passionate advocate for the Kalgoorlie-Boulder community, he would not seek re-election at the end of this term.

“I announced on Saturday that this will be my last term as mayor,” he said.

“There are lots of things I will continue to do in the community even at the end of these four years.”

The Shire of Esperance experienced the biggest turnout in the region. More than 58 per cent of voters in rural ward cast a ballot, resulting in former president Ian Mickel being re-elected to council and current deputy Natalie Bowman losing her seat.

The turnout is nearly four per cent higher than 2017. Town ward’s 45 per cent return was consistent with 2017.

Continuing the trend on the south coast, Ravensthorpe’s participation rate was also high at 54.3 per cent, though not quite at the lofty heights of 2017 when 63.7 per cent of electors voted.

Coolgardie’s turnout was slightly higher than 2015 at 33 per cent

Menzies’ rural ward turnout was low at 22.8 per cent, but town ward participation was strong at 57.9 per cent.

The rural ward in Menzies, and Wiluna, were the only Goldfields districts where participation was below 30 per cent.