Mayor Mark Irwin and new deputy mayor Stephanie Proud.

THE wall of incumbency didn’t wobble at Stirling council’s election with all sitting councillors who re-contested their seats being returned.

Elizabeth Re defended her Doubleview spot, Karlo Perkov has Hamersley again, Bianca Sandri’s staying in Inglewood, and Suzanne Migdale maintained her Lawley mantle. 

Lawley contender Paul Collins came the closest of anyone to unseating a current councillor, getting 1,970 votes to Cr Migdale’s 2,079.

On Saturday night he congratulated Cr Migdale and reflected “an incumbent Lawley ward councillor has not been defeated since 1978”, but said he’d continue to be active on the local scene. 

Of the wards with no re-contesting councillors, past candidate Teresa Olow returned to win Osborne ward, former state Liberal party MP Tony Krsticevic took the coastal ward seat in a three-way race, and Andrea Creado won in Balga’s four-candidate contest. 

Councillors have now voted Stephanie Proud to be deputy to mayor Mark Irwin.

by DAVID BELL