The mayoral contest is between incumbent Joanna Gash and Greens candidate Amanda Findley and will be decided by the flow of preferences and the postal vote. 

Support for Joanna Gash has collapsed by almost half since her landslide election victory in 2012 while Amanda Findley has tripled, bearing mind it was a five-way contest in 2012.

Cr Findley is expected to take the top job as preferences flow from Shoalhaven Independent Group candidate Greg Watson. However, by 10pm Saturday, no one was prepared to claim victory, although the mood at the Greens gathering in Sanctuary Point was jubilant.

At 6.45am Sunday Cr Findley had 12,337 first preference votes or 33.73 per cent, Greg Watson had 10,889 (29.77 per cent) and Joanna Gash 13,346 (36.49 per cent). For Cr Findley to wrest the mayor’s position from Cr Gash she needs only 20 per cent of Cr Watson’s votes to have preferenced her.

In Ward 3, front runners are Kaye Gartner (Greens), Bob Proudfoot and Mark Kitchener (SIG) and Patricia White (Team Gash).

Ward 2 is a little more difficult to call. Cr Gash has been returned, Greg Watson and Mitchell Pakes (SIG) look set to take two positions and John Levett (Greens) is poised to take the fourth. However, the final makeup of this ward will come down to postal votes and preferences.

In Ward 1, Nine Cheyne (Greens) John Wells (Team Gash) and Andrew Guile (SIG) appear assured of positions. The fourth spot will come down to Country Labor preferences and is between Graham French (SIG) and Terry Barratt  (Greens).