Gosford
Margin: Liberal 11.9%
Region: Central Coast
Federal: Robertson
Candidates in ballot paper order
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MATTHEW MARONEY CHRIS HOLSTEIN ANDREW CHURCH KATHY SMITH KATE DA COSTA JAKE CASSAR |
2011 BOOTH RESULTS MAP |
PAST RESULTS
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DEMOGRAPHICS |
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Two-party preferred booth results from 2011 state election showing Liberal majority in blue and Labor in red. New boundaries in thicker blue lines, old ones in thinner red lines. Boundary data courtesy of Ben Raue of The Tally Room.
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Among the entries on Labor’s endless casualty list at the 2011 election was Gosford, which takes its name from the town on the Central Coast 75 kilometres to the north of central Sydney. The seat is dominated by Gosford and Woy Woy, which respectively occupy the northern and southern shores of Brisbane Water, from which it extends northwards for about 50 kilometres through lightly populated semi-rural, state forest and national park areas. The redistribution has made two minor changes, adding part of Narara from The Entrance immediately to the north of Gosford, and transferring part of Springfield to its east to Terrigal. Both transfers involve around 3000 voters, and have no effect on the margin.
While Gosford has lent its name to an electorate without interruption since 1950, its present incarnation is effectively the successor to the seat of Peats, which was abolished at the 2007 redistribution. The Gosford electorate had hitherto encompassed the coastal territory that now formed the basis of the new seat of Terrigal, the name changes reflecting the transfer of central Gosford from one electorate to the other. The renamed Terrigal was compensated for the loss by expanding further north along the coast. Gosford was accordingly won for Labor at the 2007 election by former Peats MP Marie Andrews, while Terrigal passed on to the Liberal member for the old Gosford, Chris Hartcher.
Peats had been created at the 1973 election and held by a succession of Labor members over the next 34 years, Marie Andrews coming to the seat at a by-election in 1995 after her predecessor, Tony Doyle, retired due to ill health and died four days later. Andrews retired at the 2011 election, at which the 4.9% margin she retained in 2007 was demolished by a swing of 16.7% to Liberal candidate Chris Holstein, formerly the Gosford mayor.
Labor’s candidate is Kathy Smith, a former chair of Cancer Voices NSW, and not to be confused with its candidate at the last election, Katie Smith. Smith won preselection after an intervention by the national executive designed to prevent a comeback by Belinda Neal, the controversial former member for the corresponding federal seat of Robertson, who evidently continues to wield clout in local branches.