Greens New South Wales
Encyclopedia
The Greens New South Wales is the state Greens party
in New South Wales
. It is a member party of the Australian Greens
. The Greens NSW have one member in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
(Jamie Parker
), five members in the New South Wales Legislative Council
(Jan Barham
, Cate Faerhmann, David Shoebridge
, Jeremy Buckingham
and John Kaye). Former Senator
Kerry Nettle
lost her seat in the 2007 federal election. Senator Lee Rhiannon
, a former MLC, won a seat in the Senate in the 2010 federal election and took her seat in July 2011.
.
The party first came close to electing a candidate in 1991, when Ian Cohen was the last candidate to be excluded in a contest against Christian Democratic Party
leader Fred Nile
, which was dubbed as a contest between 'heaven and earth' by the media, for the last seat in the New South Wales Legislative Council.
In 1995, Cohen was elected to the NSW Legislative Council, the first Greens parliamentary representative in NSW. In 1999 Cohen was joined by Lee Rhiannon
. In 2003, Cohen was elected for a second term and joined by Sylvia Hale
, a Marrickville
local councillor, bringing the number of Greens in the NSW Parliament up to three. At the 2003 Election the Greens were the only minor party to win more than one seat in the Legislative Council.
On September 17, 2005, by-elections were held after the resignation of sitting members in three Sydney electorates, including the then Premier Bob Carr
, member for the electorate of Maroubra. The Greens party contested all three seats with increased success, including a primary vote of 38.96% in the electorate of Marrickville (increased from the 28.47% received in the 2003 State election). The result is the party's highest ever primary vote in a New South Wales Legislative Assembly
electorate or any other election in New South Wales, although much of the gain was the result of the Liberal Party not standing a candidate.
In 2007, the Greens increased their Legislative Assembly vote to 8.95%, up from 8.4% in 2003, and saw the re-election of Lee Rhiannon and the election of John Kaye, bringing the number of Members of the Legislative Council to four. The Greens also became the first minor party to ever win two full Legislative Council quotas. In the Legislative Assembly, the Greens polled 33% in Marrickville
, the highest vote polled by the Greens in a lower house seat in a general election in New South Wales, and 30% in the adjacent seat of Balmain
. The Greens also outpolled Labor
in the seats of North Shore
and Vaucluse
, the first time Greens have appeared in the two-party race in safe Liberal
seats.
In 2010 Lee Rhiannon resigned from the Legislative Council to contest and win a Senate seat, and Sylvia Hale also resigned her seat. The resulting casual vacancies
were filled by Cate Faehrmann
and David Shoebridge
respectively.
At the 2011 NSW state election
, the Greens further increased their Legislative Assembly vote to 10.28%, and the Legislative Council vote to 11.11% (2.44 quotas). This resulted in the election of Jamie Parker
as the first Greens member of the Legislative Assembly representing Balmain
and the re-election of David Shoebridge and the election of Jan Barham
and Jeremy Buckingham
to the Legislative Council. A two-candidate preferred swing of 6.58% to the Greens in Marrickville
took Fiona Byrne to 676 votes from winning that seat. The Greens finished in the top two candidates in fifteen Assembly districts, including Ballina, Lismore
and eight new safe Liberal seats in northern Sydney. Ian Cohen did not contest pre-selection and retired from the parliament at the election.
The Greens elected their first ever New South Wales Senator, Kerry Nettle, at the 2001 election, only the second Australian Greens senator elected ever, joining Senator Bob Brown
of Tasmania
, who was elected to a second term at that election.
In 2002, Michael Organ
was elected to the House of Representatives
for the Wollongong seat of Cunningham
at a by-election. Organ was the first Greens member to be elected to a single-member electorate in Australia.
At the 2004 Federal Election, the Greens ran John Kaye as their lead Senate
candidate, since Nettle's term did not expire until the 2007 election. The Greens also targeted a number of House of Representatives electorates, particularly Sydney
, Grayndler
, and Organ's seat of Cunningham. While Organ was defeated and the Australian Labor Party
retained both Sydney and Grayndler, the Greens polled over 20% in all three of these seats, the only times that the Greens have achieved that in a general election.
In 2004, the Greens increased their Senate vote to 7.3%, but due to less favourable preference flows, Kaye was not elected to join Nettle and Brown.
In the 2007 Federal election, Senator Kerry Nettle obtained 8.6% of the NSW Senate vote, but failed to hold her seat, making her the only Greens casualty of the night. Two other Greens, Sarah Hanson-Young in South Australia and Scott Ludlum in Western Australia, joined Senator Bob Brown to lift the Greens numbers in the Senate from 4 to 5, despite Nettle's loss in NSW.
In 2010 the Greens obtained 10.69% of the NSW Senate vote (the lowest Green senate vote of any state or territory) and obtained the final spot in the half-senate election. Lee Rhiannon took up her post in the Australian Senate
on 1 July 2011.
held in Canberra in February 1998. Catherine Moore of the Braidwood Greens local group, who had been active in a number of progressive parties meetings (with the Republican Party, the Australian Women's Party, the Progressive Labour Party, the Bill of Rights Group, the Indigenous Peoples' Party) led the ticket and was the last to be elected for NSW. She joined Christine Milne
from Tasmania, who was an appointed delegate, and their contributions focused on ensuring that the overall process was more inclusive.
across the state, including in rural and regional areas where the major parties usually do not run candidates on party tickets. By 2004 the Greens had 58 elected representatives in local government.
At the local government elections held on September 13th, 2008 a total of 76 endorsed Greens representatives were returned in 42 local government areas or just over 5% compared to around 3.75% previously. Greens councillors were elected to serve on the following councils for the first time: Armidale Dumaresq, Ballina, Burwood
, Canterbury
, Hurstville
, Lake Macquarie (2 elected), Lane Cove
(2), North Sydney
, Tweed, Wagga Wagga
, Warringah
(2) and Willoughby
.
In Leichhardt
Greens came close to doubling the vote of the ALP in their traditional heartland and won control the Council in their own right with 6 councillors (1999 -1 seat and 2006 - 4 seats). Jamie Parker, a councillor since 1999, was elected as Mayor. In Byron Shire, Jan Barham was elected as mayor with 50% of the vote in a popular mayoral election, and serves on council with another 3 Greens councillors.
Greens representation was increased in Blue Mountains
, Cessnock
, Coffs Harbour
, Gosford, Bellingen, Hornsby
, Orange
and Woollahra
.
The party is made up of 'local groups', who cover a specific geographical area. Local groups have complete responsibility for elections held in their area, particularly elections for the House of Representatives, the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
or Local Government. There are currently 56 affiliated local groups in NSW.
Each affiliated local group makes decisions affecting the Greens NSW through the State Delegates Council (SDC), a meeting that consists of a delegate from each local group. The SDC is the highest decision-making body, and controls election campaigns for state-wide candidatures (such as the Senate and Legislative Council) and in areas with no local group. It also decides on admitting new local groups as members of the Greens NSW.
Decision-making at the SDC, in local groups and in other bodies of the Greens NSW is conducted according to the principles of Consensus decision-making
.
Worldwide green parties
A Green party or ecologist party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of Green politics. These principles usually include social justice, reliance on grassroots democracy, nonviolence, and an emphasis on environmentalism...
in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. It is a member party of the Australian Greens
Australian Greens
The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...
. The Greens NSW have one member in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
(Jamie Parker
Jamie Parker (politician)
Jamie Thomas Parker MP, an Australian politician, is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Balmain for the Greens since 2011...
), five members in the New South Wales Legislative Council
New South Wales Legislative Council
The New South Wales Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of New South Wales in Australia. The other is the Legislative Assembly. Both sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney. The Assembly is referred to as the lower house and the Council as...
(Jan Barham
Jan Barham
Jan Barham is an Australian politician. She has been a Greens member of the New South Wales Legislative Council since the 2011 state election.As of 2011, Jan Barham's portfolio responsibilities within the Greens include: Family and Community Services, Aging, Disability Services, Aboriginal Affairs,...
, Cate Faerhmann, David Shoebridge
David Shoebridge
David Shoebridge is an Australian politician. He has been a Greens member of the New South Wales Legislative Council since September 2010, when he was appointed to replace outgoing MLC Sylvia Hale....
, Jeremy Buckingham
Jeremy Buckingham
Jeremy Buckingham is an Australian politician. He has been a Greens member of the New South Wales Legislative Council since the 2011 state election....
and John Kaye). Former Senator
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
Kerry Nettle
Kerry Nettle
Kerry Michelle Nettle is a former Australian Senator and member of the Australian Greens in New South Wales. Elected at the 2001 federal election on a primary vote of 4.36 percent with One Nation and micro-party preferences, she failed to gain re-election at the 2007 federal election, despite an...
lost her seat in the 2007 federal election. Senator Lee Rhiannon
Lee Rhiannon
Lee Rhiannon , an Australian politician, is a Senator for New South Wales, elected at the 2010 federal election, representing the Australian Greens...
, a former MLC, won a seat in the Senate in the 2010 federal election and took her seat in July 2011.
History
The first Greens party was registered in 1984, but the Greens NSW did not take its current form until 1991, when six local groups in New South Wales federated as a state political party. Greens candidates have run in every federal election since 1984, when a single candidate ran in the federal Division of SydneyDivision of Sydney
The Division of Sydney is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It is located around the central city area of Sydney, and includes many inner suburbs such as Darlinghurst, Surry Hills, Ultimo, Redfern, Camperdown, Glebe, Annandale, Balmain, Potts Point and the Sydney...
.
New South Wales elections
NSW Election Results Primary Vote (LA New South Wales Legislative Assembly The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney... )
|
The party first came close to electing a candidate in 1991, when Ian Cohen was the last candidate to be excluded in a contest against Christian Democratic Party
Christian Democratic Party (Australia)
The Christian Democratic Party is a right-wing political party in Australia. Its leader is Fred Nile, a Congregational Church minister and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council.-Formation:...
leader Fred Nile
Fred Nile
Frederick John "Fred" Nile is an Australian politician and clergyman. Nile has been a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council since 1981, except for a period in 2004 when he resigned to contest the Australian Senate at the 2004 federal election...
, which was dubbed as a contest between 'heaven and earth' by the media, for the last seat in the New South Wales Legislative Council.
In 1995, Cohen was elected to the NSW Legislative Council, the first Greens parliamentary representative in NSW. In 1999 Cohen was joined by Lee Rhiannon
Lee Rhiannon
Lee Rhiannon , an Australian politician, is a Senator for New South Wales, elected at the 2010 federal election, representing the Australian Greens...
. In 2003, Cohen was elected for a second term and joined by Sylvia Hale
Sylvia Hale
Sylvia Phyllis Hale is a social justice, community and environmental campaigner, and a former Australian politician. She was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council from 2003 to 2010 for the Greens....
, a Marrickville
Marrickville Council
Marrickville Council is a Local Government Area situated in the Inner West region of Sydney, Australia.The area is bounded by Leichhardt to the north, the City of Sydney to the east and north-east, the City of Botany Bay to the south-east, Rockdale to the south, Canterbury to the west, and...
local councillor, bringing the number of Greens in the NSW Parliament up to three. At the 2003 Election the Greens were the only minor party to win more than one seat in the Legislative Council.
On September 17, 2005, by-elections were held after the resignation of sitting members in three Sydney electorates, including the then Premier Bob Carr
Bob Carr
Robert John "Bob" Carr , Australian statesman, was Premier of New South Wales from 4 April 1995 to 3 August 2005. He holds the record for the longest continuous service as premier of NSW...
, member for the electorate of Maroubra. The Greens party contested all three seats with increased success, including a primary vote of 38.96% in the electorate of Marrickville (increased from the 28.47% received in the 2003 State election). The result is the party's highest ever primary vote in a New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
electorate or any other election in New South Wales, although much of the gain was the result of the Liberal Party not standing a candidate.
In 2007, the Greens increased their Legislative Assembly vote to 8.95%, up from 8.4% in 2003, and saw the re-election of Lee Rhiannon and the election of John Kaye, bringing the number of Members of the Legislative Council to four. The Greens also became the first minor party to ever win two full Legislative Council quotas. In the Legislative Assembly, the Greens polled 33% in Marrickville
Electoral district of Marrickville
Marrickville is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is a 13.47 km² urban electorate in Sydney's inner west, centred on the suburb of Marrickville from which it takes its name...
, the highest vote polled by the Greens in a lower house seat in a general election in New South Wales, and 30% in the adjacent seat of Balmain
Electoral district of Balmain
Balmain is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of the Australian state of New South Wales in Sydney's Inner West. It includes the suburbs and localities of Annandale, Balmain, Balmain East, Birchgrove, Forest Lodge, Glebe, Glebe Island, Haberfield, Leichhardt, Lilyfield, Rozelle,...
. The Greens also outpolled Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
in the seats of North Shore
Electoral district of North Shore
North Shore is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Jillian Skinner of the Liberal Party of Australia.-History:...
and Vaucluse
Electoral district of Vaucluse
Vaucluse is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, based on the suburb of Vaucluse. Vaucluse is one of two original electorates to have never been held by the opposing Labor party and always by the Liberal Party or its predecessors, the other...
, the first time Greens have appeared in the two-party race in safe Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
seats.
In 2010 Lee Rhiannon resigned from the Legislative Council to contest and win a Senate seat, and Sylvia Hale also resigned her seat. The resulting casual vacancies
Casual vacancy
In the Parliament of Australia, a casual vacancy is caused when a member of either house :* dies* resigns mid-term * is expelled from Parliament and their seat is declared vacant, or...
were filled by Cate Faehrmann
Cate Faehrmann
Cate Faehrmann is a Greens Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council, environmental activist and former director of the Nature Conservation Council of NSW. She was also a board member of the progressive political organisation GetUp and the public interest environmental law firm, the...
and David Shoebridge
David Shoebridge
David Shoebridge is an Australian politician. He has been a Greens member of the New South Wales Legislative Council since September 2010, when he was appointed to replace outgoing MLC Sylvia Hale....
respectively.
At the 2011 NSW state election
New South Wales state election, 2011
Elections to the 55th Parliament of New South Wales were held on Saturday, 26 March 2011. The 16-year incumbent Australian Labor Party government led by Premier Kristina Keneally was defeated in a landslide by the Liberal-National coalition opposition led by Barry O'Farrell.New South Wales has...
, the Greens further increased their Legislative Assembly vote to 10.28%, and the Legislative Council vote to 11.11% (2.44 quotas). This resulted in the election of Jamie Parker
Jamie Parker (politician)
Jamie Thomas Parker MP, an Australian politician, is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Balmain for the Greens since 2011...
as the first Greens member of the Legislative Assembly representing Balmain
Electoral district of Balmain
Balmain is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of the Australian state of New South Wales in Sydney's Inner West. It includes the suburbs and localities of Annandale, Balmain, Balmain East, Birchgrove, Forest Lodge, Glebe, Glebe Island, Haberfield, Leichhardt, Lilyfield, Rozelle,...
and the re-election of David Shoebridge and the election of Jan Barham
Jan Barham
Jan Barham is an Australian politician. She has been a Greens member of the New South Wales Legislative Council since the 2011 state election.As of 2011, Jan Barham's portfolio responsibilities within the Greens include: Family and Community Services, Aging, Disability Services, Aboriginal Affairs,...
and Jeremy Buckingham
Jeremy Buckingham
Jeremy Buckingham is an Australian politician. He has been a Greens member of the New South Wales Legislative Council since the 2011 state election....
to the Legislative Council. A two-candidate preferred swing of 6.58% to the Greens in Marrickville
Electoral district of Marrickville
Marrickville is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is a 13.47 km² urban electorate in Sydney's inner west, centred on the suburb of Marrickville from which it takes its name...
took Fiona Byrne to 676 votes from winning that seat. The Greens finished in the top two candidates in fifteen Assembly districts, including Ballina, Lismore
Electoral district of Lismore
Lismore is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Thomas George of the National Party of Australia....
and eight new safe Liberal seats in northern Sydney. Ian Cohen did not contest pre-selection and retired from the parliament at the election.
Federal Elections
Federal Election Results NSW Primary Vote (HoR Australian House of Representatives The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years.... )
|
The Greens elected their first ever New South Wales Senator, Kerry Nettle, at the 2001 election, only the second Australian Greens senator elected ever, joining Senator Bob Brown
Bob Brown
Robert James Brown is an Australian senator, the inaugural Parliamentary Leader of the Australian Greens and was the first openly gay member of the Parliament of Australia...
of Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, who was elected to a second term at that election.
In 2002, Michael Organ
Michael Organ
Michael Keith Organ is an Australian politician. He was an Australian Greens member of the Australian House of Representatives between 2002 and 2004, representing the Division of Cunningham, New South Wales...
was elected to the House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
for the Wollongong seat of Cunningham
Division of Cunningham
The Division of Cunningham is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. The division was created in 1949 and is named for Allan Cunningham, a 19th century explorer of New South Wales and Queensland. It is located on the coast of New South Wales between southern Sydney and Wollongong, and...
at a by-election. Organ was the first Greens member to be elected to a single-member electorate in Australia.
At the 2004 Federal Election, the Greens ran John Kaye as their lead Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
candidate, since Nettle's term did not expire until the 2007 election. The Greens also targeted a number of House of Representatives electorates, particularly Sydney
Division of Sydney
The Division of Sydney is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It is located around the central city area of Sydney, and includes many inner suburbs such as Darlinghurst, Surry Hills, Ultimo, Redfern, Camperdown, Glebe, Annandale, Balmain, Potts Point and the Sydney...
, Grayndler
Division of Grayndler
The Division of Grayndler is an Australian Electoral Division in inner Metropolitan Sydney, New South Wales. It is one of Australia's smallest electorates, located in the inner-southern Sydney metropolitan area, including parts of the inner-west...
, and Organ's seat of Cunningham. While Organ was defeated and the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
retained both Sydney and Grayndler, the Greens polled over 20% in all three of these seats, the only times that the Greens have achieved that in a general election.
In 2004, the Greens increased their Senate vote to 7.3%, but due to less favourable preference flows, Kaye was not elected to join Nettle and Brown.
In the 2007 Federal election, Senator Kerry Nettle obtained 8.6% of the NSW Senate vote, but failed to hold her seat, making her the only Greens casualty of the night. Two other Greens, Sarah Hanson-Young in South Australia and Scott Ludlum in Western Australia, joined Senator Bob Brown to lift the Greens numbers in the Senate from 4 to 5, despite Nettle's loss in NSW.
In 2010 the Greens obtained 10.69% of the NSW Senate vote (the lowest Green senate vote of any state or territory) and obtained the final spot in the half-senate election. Lee Rhiannon took up her post in the Australian Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
on 1 July 2011.
Constitutional Convention
In 1997 The Greens NSW formed part of a joint ticket called Greens, Bill of Rights, Indigenous Peoples for the 1998 Constitutional ConventionConstitutional Convention (Australia)
In Australian history, the term Constitutional Convention refers to four distinct gatherings.-1891 convention:The 1891 Constitutional Convention was held in Sydney in March 1891 to consider a draft Constitution for the proposed federation of the British colonies in Australia and New Zealand. There...
held in Canberra in February 1998. Catherine Moore of the Braidwood Greens local group, who had been active in a number of progressive parties meetings (with the Republican Party, the Australian Women's Party, the Progressive Labour Party, the Bill of Rights Group, the Indigenous Peoples' Party) led the ticket and was the last to be elected for NSW. She joined Christine Milne
Christine Milne
Christine Anne Milne is an Australian Senator and deputy leader of the Australian Greens.Christine Milne first came to public attention for her role in opposing the building of the Wesley Vale pulp mill near Bass Strait in North Western Tasmania on the basis of its allegedly harmful environmental...
from Tasmania, who was an appointed delegate, and their contributions focused on ensuring that the overall process was more inclusive.
Local Government
The party endorses candidates to stand for election in many of the 152 local government areasLocal Government Areas of New South Wales
The local government areas of New South Wales, Australia have been subject to periodic bouts of restructuring and rationalisation by the State Government, involving voluntary and involuntary amalgamation of areas...
across the state, including in rural and regional areas where the major parties usually do not run candidates on party tickets. By 2004 the Greens had 58 elected representatives in local government.
At the local government elections held on September 13th, 2008 a total of 76 endorsed Greens representatives were returned in 42 local government areas or just over 5% compared to around 3.75% previously. Greens councillors were elected to serve on the following councils for the first time: Armidale Dumaresq, Ballina, Burwood
Burwood Council
The Municipality of Burwood is a Local Government Area in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia.- Suburbs in the local government area :Suburbs serviced by Burwood Council are:* Burwood* Burwood Heights* Enfield...
, Canterbury
City of Canterbury, New South Wales
The City of Canterbury, previously the Municipality of Canterbury, is a Local Government Area in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It lies southwest of the central business district and forms part of the Greater Sydney metropolitan area....
, Hurstville
City of Hurstville
The City of Hurstville is a Local Government Area in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The city centre is located 17km SSW of the Sydney central business district and west of Botany Bay....
, Lake Macquarie (2 elected), Lane Cove
Municipality of Lane Cove
The Municipality of Lane Cove is a Local Government Area located about 10km north-west of the central business district of Sydney, Australia, in the south-west corner of the North Shore. The Lane Cove River borders its south, with the eastern part of Hunter's Hill just across that river...
(2), North Sydney
North Sydney Council
North Sydney Council is a Local Government Area on the North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia.- Demographics :According to the :...
, Tweed, Wagga Wagga
City of Wagga Wagga
The Wagga Wagga City Council was formed from the amalgamation of City of Wagga Wagga with Mitchell and Kyeamba Shires in 1981. 22 December 2009, Wagga Wagga City Council announced that Phil Pinyon would be appointed as the General Manager of the Wagga Wagga City Council after Lyn Russell, who...
, Warringah
Warringah Council
Warringah is a local council area in the Northern Beaches region of Sydney, Australia. Warringah Council overlaps with a number of suburbs from the Manly Council area to the south and the Pittwater Council area to the north...
(2) and Willoughby
City of Willoughby
The City of Willoughby is a Local Government Area on the North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 6 km north of the Sydney central business district....
.
In Leichhardt
Municipality of Leichhardt
The Municipality of Leichhardt is a Local Government Area in the inner-west of Sydney, in state of New South Wales, Australia.-History:The Municipality of Leichhardt stands on land that traditionally belonged to the Gadigal and Wangal people, of the Eora nation...
Greens came close to doubling the vote of the ALP in their traditional heartland and won control the Council in their own right with 6 councillors (1999 -1 seat and 2006 - 4 seats). Jamie Parker, a councillor since 1999, was elected as Mayor. In Byron Shire, Jan Barham was elected as mayor with 50% of the vote in a popular mayoral election, and serves on council with another 3 Greens councillors.
Greens representation was increased in Blue Mountains
City of Blue Mountains
The City of Blue Mountains is a local government area of New South Wales, Australia, governed by the Blue Mountains City Council. The city is located in the Blue Mountains range west of Sydney.-Demographics:...
, Cessnock
City of Cessnock
Cessnock City Council is a Local Government Area in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia, located to the west of Newcastle. The largest population centre and council seat is the city of Cessnock, after which the LGA is named....
, Coffs Harbour
City of Coffs Harbour
The City of Coffs Harbour is the Local Government Area that administers the Coffs Harbour area. It is on the Pacific Highway, and the North Coast railway line.At the 2006 Census the City's resident population was 64,910...
, Gosford, Bellingen, Hornsby
Hornsby Shire
Hornsby Shire is a Local Government Area in the Northern region of Sydney, Australia. The Shire stretches from the suburb of Eastwood in the south to the Hawkesbury River town of Wisemans Ferry, some to the north...
, Orange
City of Orange
The City of Orange is a Local Government Area of New South Wales, Australia, including Orange and the surrounding areas. It is on the Mitchell Highway and the Main Western railway line.It includes the villages of Lucknow, Shadforth, Spring Hill and March....
and Woollahra
Municipality of Woollahra
The Municipality of Woollahra is a Local Government Area in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The administrative centre of the Municipality of Woollahra is located on New South Head Road at Double Bay....
.
Structure
The Greens NSW retain the same basic structure which was created in 1991, with the formation of the state-wide party.The party is made up of 'local groups', who cover a specific geographical area. Local groups have complete responsibility for elections held in their area, particularly elections for the House of Representatives, the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
or Local Government. There are currently 56 affiliated local groups in NSW.
Each affiliated local group makes decisions affecting the Greens NSW through the State Delegates Council (SDC), a meeting that consists of a delegate from each local group. The SDC is the highest decision-making body, and controls election campaigns for state-wide candidatures (such as the Senate and Legislative Council) and in areas with no local group. It also decides on admitting new local groups as members of the Greens NSW.
Decision-making at the SDC, in local groups and in other bodies of the Greens NSW is conducted according to the principles of Consensus decision-making
Consensus decision-making
Consensus decision-making is a group decision making process that seeks the consent, not necessarily the agreement, of participants and the resolution of objections. Consensus is defined by Merriam-Webster as, first, general agreement, and second, group solidarity of belief or sentiment. It has its...
.