Councillors humbled to be re-elected

Back on the job will be Bilal El-Hayek (Labor), Khal Asfour (Labor) and George Zakhia (Liberal) in Bankstown, Rachelle Harika (Labor) and Chris Cahill (Labor) in Bass Hill, David Walsh (Labor) in Revesby, Clare Raffan (Labor) and Barbara Coorey (Independent) in Canterbury, and Karl Saleh (Labor) in Roselands.
New to the council will be former State MP for East Hills Wendy Lindsay (Liberal) in Revesby, Harry Stavrinos (Group A Our Local Community) in Roselands, Conroy Blood (Greens) in Canterbury and Elvis Sinosic (Libertarian Party, formerly Liberal Democrats) in Bass Hill.
It appears that the council will remain under the control of Labor, whose sources say they are confident of getting a second councillor in Roselands, giving Labor eight positions.
The election result will be declared October 1-3.
Mayor El-Hayek said he was excited to have been re-elected and thanked everyone who voted for him and “placed their trust in my continued leadership”.
“Your support is truly appreciated. A huge thank you also goes out to the incredible volunteers who have worked alongside me. Your dedication and hard work were instrumental in this victory,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to continuing our work together and making positive strides for our community. Here’s to a bright future ahead.”
Ms Lindsay said she is “beyond thrilled to be able to represent the people of Revesby Ward again in a new role as Councillor on Canterbury Bankstown Council”.
“My heartfelt thanks goes out to the local residents who voted for our team, so much so, that dependent on the postal vote and pre-poll count, it is looking positive that fellow local Liberal, Jennifer Walther may also be successful,” Ms Lindsay said.
“We are both grateful to our volunteers and our local community and look forward to serving them on council.”
Deputy Mayor, Cr Harika said she was humbled to have been re-elected.
“I am proud to live in Canterbury Bankstown – Bass Hill Ward and I am even prouder to represent you all on a local level,” she said.
“I would like to thank all the supporters and volunteers who have worked so tirelessly to ensure we elect a good Labor team for Bass Hill Ward, whether you were on a booth on election day or working behind the scenes, every little bit of help paid off.
“I thank my family for the tremendous love and support you always give, and a special thanks also to the residents who have voted for Labor to continue the work to ensure Bass Hill Ward gets their fair share of projects and easy access to council facilities.”
Cr Zakhia said was also “humbled” to have been re-elected.
“I want to extend my deepest thanks to each and every one of you. To the voters thank you for placing your trust in me once again. Your support means the world to me,” he said.
“To my incredible volunteers this victory is as much yours as it is mine. Your hard work, dedication, and countless hours of effort made this possible. I’m excited to continue working on the issues that matter most to our community. Here’s to the future and all we will accomplish together”.