Date - Saturday 13 September 2025
The by-election for the New South Wales state seat of Kiama has been caused by the resignation of independent Gareth Ward, after his conviction and sentencing for sexual abuse offences. He resigned from parliament shortly before a motion to expel him was set to pass.- Enrolment - 62,486
- Final Figures - Turnout 83.0%
LABOR WINS Kiama
Two-Candidate Preferred (2CP)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALP | Katelin McInerney | 23,313 | 60.2 | +10.9 |
| LIB | Serena Copley | 15,421 | 39.8 | +39.8 |
| IND | ...(Gareth Ward) | -50.8 | ||
| Exhausted | 11,161 | 22.4 | +9.0 |
- The swing column shows the change in 2CP% since the last election.
- Analysing the swing is complicated by the massive exhaustion rate in 2023, when 69.5% of Ward voters expressed no preferences, inflating Labor’s two-party preferred result.
- Comparing Labor’s result to the contest against Gareth Ward in 2023, there is a 10.9% swing to Labor.
- By the alternative two-party preferred count from 2023, there is a 9.6% swing against Labor.
First Preference Count
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALP | Katelin McInerney | 18,622 | 37.3 | +2.9 |
| LIB | Serena Copley | 13,226 | 26.5 | +14.5 |
| IND | Kate Dezarnaulds | 5,225 | 10.5 | +10.5 |
| GRN | Tonia Gray | 4,074 | 8.2 | -3.0 |
| LCA | Don Fuggle | 2,550 | 5.1 | +5.1 |
| SFF | Felix Nelson | 2,543 | 5.1 | +5.1 |
| LBT | Joshua Beer | 895 | 1.8 | +1.8 |
| IND | Lisa Cotton | 676 | 1.4 | +1.4 |
| AJP | Ellie Robertson | 622 | 1.2 | +1.2 |
| IND | Andrew Thaler | 544 | 1.1 | +1.1 |
| IND | Roger Woodward | 429 | 0.9 | +0.9 |
| SAP | Ken Davis | 420 | 0.8 | -2.8 |
| IND | Cyrille Jeufo Keuheu | 69 | 0.1 | +0.1 |
| IND | ... (Gareth Ward) | -38.8 | ||
| Informal | 1,995 | 3.8 | +0.7 | |
| Total Votes / Turnout | 51,890 | 83.0 | ||
| Electoral Roll | 62,486 |
Electorate Description
Kiama extends from the southern Illawarra to the Shoalhaven River then west into the Morton National Park. At its centre lies the Kiama council area, including Kiama, Kiama Downs, Minnamurra, Jamberoo and Gerringong. Nearby to the north the electorate includes Albion Park and Albion Park Rail south of the Princes Highway in Shellharbour council. The electorate then extends south into Shoalhaven Council to include Kangaroo Valley, Bomaderry and North Nowra, as well as some areas to the west of Nowra. Covers 2,275 square kilometres.
Former Member
Gareth Ward
Ward resigned as an MP on August 8, 2025, after losing a legal battle to prevent the legislative assembly from expelling him from parliament. He has been in jail since he was convicted by a jury of sex offences against two young men, and in October 2025 he was given a sentence of five years and nine months in prison, with a non-parole sentence of three years and nine months. Ward's political career began when he was elected to Shoalhaven Council in 2004 as a 22 year-old, the youngest-ever to serve on the council. He was then elected to parliament as the Liberal member for Kiama in 2011, and was re-elected as a Liberal in 2015 and 2019. He served as Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services after the 2019 election, but then resigned from the ministry and Liberal Party in 2021 over the issue that eventually resulted in his criminal conviction. Ward attended school in Kiama and Bomaderry, and completed arts, commerce and law degrees, later completing a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice and qualifying as a solicitor.
Background
Kiama existed as an electorate from 1859 until 1904 when it was abolished on the post-Federation reduction in size of the Legislative Assembly. Amongst Kiama’s 19th century members were Henry Parkes and George Fuller, both of whom later to served as Premier.
Kiama was re-created ahead of the 1981 election following the introduction of one-vote one-value electoral boundaries and was Labor held for the next three decades. Former members were Bill Knott 1981-85, former professional wrestler and Shellharbour Mayor Bob ‘Bo Bo’ Harrison 1985-1999, and Matt Brown 1999-2011.
Knott had first been elected at the 1978 election when he caused an upset by winning Wollondilly on the retirement of former Liberal Premier Tom Lewis. His son Peter later served as an accident prone Federal MP for the local Federal seat of Gilmore 1993-96.
Matt Brown was appointed a Minister after the re-election of Labor under Morris Iemma in 2007. When Nathan Rees became Premier, Brown received a major promotion to Police Minister, but he lasted only three days in the post. He was forced to resign as Minister when his behaviour at a boisterous party in Parliament House was revealed. Brown was easily defeated after a 19.4% swing at the 2011 election.
Despite a near 10 per cent state-wide swing to Labor at the 2015 election, new Liberal MP Gareth Ward was easily re-elected with a small swing in his favour. He increased his margin with a further 3.3 per cent swing in his favour in 2019, reward for the government’s expenditure in major improvements to the Princes Highway since coming to office.
Ward faced a very different challenge in 2023 having resigned from the Liberal Party pending his court case. Ward’s first hearing in the case did not take place until after the election but did not prevent his re-election.
Ward was viewed by voters as responsible for major public works upgrades during his time as member. Anyone driving to the South Coast can’t help but notice how much easier it is compared to before the election of the Coalition in 2011. The construction of the Albion Park and Berry by-passes, the straightening and duplication of highway between Gerringong and Bomaderry, and the construction of a new bridge over the Shoalhaven River between Bomaderry and Nowra, have all improved access to communities in the Kiama electorate and areas further south.
Past Election Results
| Year | Winning Party |
|---|---|
| 1981 | ALP |
| 1984 | ALP |
| 1986By | ALP |
| 1988 | ALP |
| 1991 | ALP |
| 1995 | LIB |
| 1999 | ALP |
| 2003 | ALP |
| 2007 | ALP |
| 2011 | LIB |
| 2015 | LIB |
| 2019 | LIB |
| 2023 | IND |
(Victories by the party that formed government are indicated by thick coloured underlining.)
Candidates (13) in Ballot Paper Order
| Candidate Name | Party |
|---|---|
| Tonia Gray | The Greens |
| Serena Copley | Liberal |
| Andrew Thaler | Independent |
| Roger Woodward | Independent |
| Don Fuggle | Legalise Cannabis Party |
| Ken Davis | Sustainable Australia Party – Stop Overdevelopment/Corruption |
| Lisa Cotton | Independent |
| Cyrille Jeufo Keuheu | Independent |
| Felix Nelson | Shooters, Fishers and Farmers |
| Joshua Beer | Libertarian Party (formerly Liberal Democrats) |
| Ellie Robertson | Animal Justice Party |
| Kate Dezarnaulds | Independent |
| Katelin McInerney | Labor |
More Information
Tonia Gray
The Greens
Gray is a sixth generation local who has raised her family in the electorate. She is a professor in education and gender research who has worked at Western Sydney University since 2012. From 2021 to 2024 she was a Shoalhaven City Councillor.
Serena Copley
Liberal
Copley has lived in the region for 30 years, working and raising her family. She was a Shoalhaven councillor for two years but was caught up in the Liberal Party's bungling of local government nominations and was unable to run for re-election. In her professional life she helps young people into the workforce.
Andrew Thaler
Independent
Thaler was born in Nowra, and left the region after high school to take up an apprenticeship at the Bayswater and Liddell power stations. While working he studied electrical engineering and explosives, becoming a qualified powder man. He has also worked in renewable energy and run his own scrap metal contracting business. Thaler was elected to the Snowy Monaro Regional Council but has been suspended by the state government multiple times over misconduct on social media and comments about current and former politicians, council staff, and members of the public.
Roger Woodward
Independent
Don Fuggle
Legalise Cannabis Party
Fuggle has more than three decades experience in the building industry and runs his own business.
Ken Davis
Sustainable Australia Party – Stop Overdevelopment/Corruption
Davis is a trained health professional who has lived in the Illawarra since 1985, who cites access to affordable housing and over-development in Kiama as two of his priorities.
Lisa Cotton
Independent
Cotton is the founder of a domestic violence and family crisis support service. She has also worked as an electorate officer for a state parliamentarian. Cotton ran for the federal seat of Mackellar in the 2025 election.
Cyrille Jeufo Keuheu
Independent
Keuheu is a writer and IT professional, specialising in customer relationship management software. He was involved in the Victorian Government's COVID-19 contact tracing program and has worked for major banks and the federal government. He says his experiences of homelessness and exclusion have influenced his views on politics and the role of government.
Felix Nelson
Shooters, Fishers and Farmers
Nelson is a lifelong local in the electorate and has worked in the outdoor industry and as a land manager. He has served in the Australian Army, including a deployment to Afghanistan.
Joshua Beer
Libertarian Party (formerly Liberal Democrats)
Beer has spent most of his working life as a disability support worker and a teacher, including in special education and in outback New South Wales. He also volunteers with homelessness charities and his church.
Ellie Robertson
Animal Justice Party
Robertson is a public speaker and has served on several boards and local government advisory committees. Born to Greek parents, Robertson lives with a significant physical disability and uses a motorised wheelchair. She says her disability has shaped her understanding of how systems can either empower or exclude. Robertson was the Sustainable Australia Party candidate for the state seat of Strathfield at a 2022 by-election, and has also run with the Animal Justice Party for the federal seat of Hughes and the state legislative council.
Kate Dezarnaulds
Independent
Dezarnaulds is an entrepreneur and business owner who was named Kiama's Outstanding Business Leader at the Kiama Business Awards in 2025. She founded a company operating coworking spaces in the region. Previously she was President of the Berry Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, a member of The Shoalhaven Arts Board, Director of Underbelly Arts, The National Trust of Australia (NSW) Art Month Sydney and the South Coast Tourism Board. Dezarnaulds previously ran for the federal seat of Gilmore as an independent.
Katelin McInerney
Labor
McInerney grew up in Kiama and attended Minnamurra Public and Kiama High. She has worked as a journalist, communications specialist and campaigner with unions and not-for-profits. She was the first woman to hold the director position of the journalist's union (MEAA) and was also a founding member of the Women in Media initiative, a mentoring and support network for women working in media.
2023 Election Result
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gareth Ward | IND | 20,316 | 38.8 | +38.8 |
| Katelin McInerney | ALP | 18,010 | 34.4 | +6.2 |
| Melanie Gibbons | LIB | 6,301 | 12.0 | -41.6 |
| Tonia Gray | GRN | 5,833 | 11.1 | -0.7 |
| John Gill | SAP | 1,911 | 3.7 | +0.7 |
| .... | OTH | -3.4 | ||
| After Preferences | ||||
| Gareth Ward | IND | 23,018 | 50.8 | |
| Katelin McInerney | ALP | 22,329 | 49.2 | |