Narrabri Shire announces resignation of Cr Joshua Roberts-Garnsey

Narrabri Shire announced the resignation of councillor Joshua Roberts-Garnsey on Thursday morning effective immediately.

In a statement issued by council, it said Cr Roberts-Garnsey had “taken much time to reflect and consider his options” but he had “decided that resigning is the best decision in this instance”.

“After much reflection, I’ve made the decision to resign from my position as councillor for Narrabri Shire Council, effective immediately,” Cr Roberts-Garnsey said.

“Balancing my responsibilities as a full-time teacher with my duties on council has been both an incredible learning experience and a significant challenge.

“Over time, it’s become clear that I need to step back and focus on my family, my health, and my students.

“Thank you for trusting me to represent you, it’s been an honour.”

Mayor Darrell Tiemens thanked Cr Roberts-Garnsey for his service and wished him all the best for the future.

Cr Roberts-Garnsey was elected to council at the local government election held in September 2024.

Under the Local Government Act, a casual vacancy may be filled by a countback from results of the last election if it is within 18 months following an ordinary election and the council resolved at its first council meeting following the election to use a countback for such an occurrence.

In its statement, council advised that the resignation met both criteria.

Council has informed the NSW Electoral Commission which will appoint a returning officer to undertake the countback.

As part of the countback process, potential candidates will be contacted. Candidates are required to submit a formal application, information from the NSW Electoral Commission states.

Any candidates who do not apply to participate in the countback election cannot be elected.

As Cr Roberts-Garnsey was elected as the lead candidate for Group A, any above the line votes will be allocated to the second candidate in that group.

Below the line votes will be allocated according to the ballot paper.

If a non-participating candidate (a candidate who did not apply) is elected, their status is changed to “ineligible” and the countback is run again. The preferences for this ineligible candidate will be reallocated accordingly. This process will continue until an eligible candidate is elected.

Once the countback has been completed, the commissioner and council will announce the newly-appointed councillor to the shire.

More information about countback elections is available through the NSW Electoral Commission