While Australia waits to see who three regional Independents will support to form a government, the electorate of Parkes was quickly decided on Saturday after polls closed.
Member for Parkes, Mark Coulton was returned with 44,598 or 58.34% of the vote as at close of counting on Saturday night.
His nearest competition was Labor’s Andrew Brooks, with 16,709votes.
Heavily endorsed Independent, John Clements, received 8,181 votes.
In the last Federal election, Bingara and the southern end of the Gwydir Shire, was part of the New England electorate.
Mr. Coulton was elected to the seat of Parkes in November 2007. At that time, the boundary between the former Yallaroi and Bingara shires formed the electorate boundary.
Locally, voting was as follows:
Bingara
Matt Parmenter, The Greens, 31 votes, 2.91% of vote, +1.63 Swing.
John Clements, Independent, 144 votes, 13.50%, +13.5 Swing.
Andrew Brooks, Country Labor, 166 votes, 15.56%, +5.83 Swing.
Mark Coulton, The Nationals, 659 votes, 61.76%, +39.14 Swing.
Mick Colless, Independent, 67 votes, 6.28%, +6.28 Swing.
There were 1067 formal votes cast, which represents 95.78% of eligible electors. There were 47 informal votes or 1.11%.
Upper Horton
Matt Parmenter, The Greens, 2 votes, 1.75% of vote, +1.75 Swing John Clements, Independent, 5 votes, 4.39% of votes, +4.39 Swing Andrew Brooks, Country Labor, 13 votes, 11.40 % of vote, +5.19 Swing.
Mark Coulton, The Nationals, 89 votes, 78.07% of vote, +40.83 Swing.
Mick Colless, Independent, 5 votes, 4.39% of votes, +4.39 Swing.
One Hundred and fourteen formal votes were cast, which represents 97.44% of eligible electors. There were 3 informal votes or 0.12%.
Warialda
Matt Parmenter, The Greens, 15 votes, 1.48% of vote, +0.49 Swing.
John Clements, Independent, 112 votes, 11.06% of vote, +11.06 Swing.
Andrew Brooks, Country Labor, 180 votes, 17.77% of vote, -3.93 Swing.
Mark Coulton, The Nationals, 655 votes, 64.66% of vote, +10.52 Swing.
Mick Colless, Independent, 51 votes, 5.03% of vote, +5.03 Swing At the Warialda booth, 1013 formal votes were cast, which represents 96.48% of eligible electors. There were 37 informal votes or 3.52%.
Postal votes are yet to be counted.
