That's a wrap - Labor takes the Illawarra

It’s no surprise, given Saturday night’s early count, but now it’s official: a Labor landslide, sweeping up all three Illawarra electorates along the way.

AEC Tally Room results show in Cunningham, Labor’s Alison Byrnes retained the seat she has held since the last election in 2022 with 62 per cent over Liberal candidate Amanda Ivaneza’s 32 per cent.

Gilmore’s Labor candidate Fiona Phillips also retained her seat over Liberal candidate Andrew Constance, albeit in a tighter result of 55 per cent to his 45.

In Whitlam, a Labor stronghold since its creation more than 40 years ago, first-time candidate Carol Berry retained the seat for the party, succeeding retiring MP Stephen Jones and defeating Liberal challenger Nathaniel Smith 56 to 44 per cent.

Third party candidate (TCP) numbers, which indicate the margin of votes by which the winning candidate defeated their closest rival after all preferences were distributed, showed Gilmore was the most closely contested seat with a margin just shy of 10,000.

Mr Constance conceded defeat at a press conference on Monday (5 May), congratulating Mrs Phillips and wishing her team well.

Whitlam was less tight with a TCP margin of just more than 12,000. Mr Smith congratulated Ms Berry, and said he was “incredibly proud” of the Liberal campaign, which he pointed out was pulled together in three to four weeks.

“We saw a swing towards the Liberal Party against the national trend, which speaks volumes about the support we garnered. This journey has been a lot of fun, and I want to thank everyone who participated in this democratic process,” he said. “Wishing Carol Berry the best of luck in her new role.”

Meanwhile Cunningham was the safest seat, with a margin of almost 37,000.

With well over 46,000 votes, Ms Byrnes was Cunningham’s clear choice. Ms Ivaneza, with just over 24,000, had Greens candidate Jess Whittaker close behind her, earning more than 21,000 votes.

Ms Whittaker congratulated Ms Byrnes both on her victory and campaign and was hopeful for the party’s future.

“Alison led a respectful campaign and I urge her to do what is best for Cunningham in the next term of parliament,” she said.

“We had strong swings at Wollongong Public School where we won the booth as well as other strong results particularly in the south of the electorate. In Cringila we had a +15.6 per cent swing and Berkeley saw an +11.6 per cent swing towards the Greens. These in themselves are strong achievements given our grassroots campaign and a sign that having a Greens presence in Ward 3 on Wollongong Council is also resonating in the community.

“The Greens movement will continue to grow in this region. We have a strong voice on council in myself, Kit Docker and Deirdre Stuart, and we will continue advocating for a more ecologically sustainable and socially just city.”

Alison Byrnes said she would keep her nose to the grindstone with a focus on working families, students, carers and pensioners across the Illawarra.

This will include delivering on two new election commitments: a $10 million investment to complete the long-awaited Southern Suburbs Community Centre and Library in Warrawong and $5 million for a regional multicultural community centre to support the Illawarra’s growing and diverse communities.

“I am incredibly honoured to be re-elected as the Member for Cunningham, and I want to thank every person who supported our campaign,” she said.

“This outcome reflects the strength of our community’s belief in Labor’s positive plan for the future – a plan that puts people first and delivers real results.

“I will continue to fight for our fair share and ensure that the voices of our community are heard loud and clear in Canberra.”