Incumbent Liberal MP Adam Crouch has narrowly retained the seat of Terrigal after surviving a swing to Labor candidate Sam Boughton of almost 12 per cent.
In one of the most closely fought battles of the March 25 State election, residents were kept on their edge of their seats as the vote count proceeded through the week.
Although political pundits originally predicted a Labor win on election night, the tide turned as the pre-poll and postal vote count continued.
With the Liberal Party also retaining the western Sydney seat of Holsworthy, there is now no chance of a majority Labor Government, which would require 47 seats being won.
New Premier Chris Minns will lead a minority government, with 45 seats won and only one seat yet to be called.
As of Sunday morning, April 2, with 83.17 per cent of the vote counted, Crouch was sitting on 51.5 per cent of the two-party preferred vote and Boughton on 48.5 per cent with a vote difference of just over 1,200 and an 11.65 per cent swing to Labor.
Crouch posted on Facebook on Saturday night that he was “humbled and honoured that the people of the Terrigal electorate have chosen me to represent them for another four years”.
“I want to thank everyone who has supported me during the election campaign, including my amazing wife Jill, my staff, my volunteers and the broader community,” the post said.
“I have spent every day since I was first elected eight years ago working to make the Central Coast a better place.
“I am proud of what has been achieved so far, and I will be working closely with (Member for Wyong) David Harris to ensure our community gets its fair share.”
With all four of the other Central Coast seats having been retained by incumbent Labor MPs, Crouch will continue as the region’s sole Liberal MP.
He has been the Central Coast’s only Liberal State MP for the past eight years – the difference now being that he will also be the region’s only MP not a member of the governing Party.
Even Labor Party insiders were surprised at how close Boughton came to taking the traditionally-Liberal held seat.
Boughton told the ABC on Saturday that the vote count had been “a bit of a rollercoaster” but he was proud of what the Labor Party had achieved.
He cited the Wamberal sea wall debate as one of the biggest local issues to influence voters.
Terry Collins