When it was announced Greens councillor Amanda Findley would be returning as mayor on Monday, her supporters threw their hands in the air and shouted "we've made history".
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In a first, there are more councillors who consider themselves on the progressive side of politics on Shoalhaven City Council.
"For the first time ever, the majority of people that are on Shoalhaven City Council would consider themselves on the progressive side of politics rather than the conservative," Cr Findley said on Monday.
"It's a slim majority, but it's a majority nonetheless."
The newly-elected candidates have officially been announced, with four Greens councillors, four of the Shoalhaven Independents group, three Labor and two Independents.
Incoming Labor councillor Liza Butler called it an "historic moment" and that the result of a majority progressive council came down to people "wanting change".
"Because of COVID, all the council meetings went online, so many people were logging on and looking at it and seeing how horrible it was," she said.
"I think that's what really made people go, 'we need something new.'"
Ms Butler believed the result also came down to the alliance formed between Labor and the Greens.
"We knew that neither team could do what we've achieved on their own," she said. "By working together and putting preferences one and two, that's what made this historic event come true."
Cr Findley said since she first started campaigning for the Greens in the early 2000s, punters had always been "nasty" attitudes towards the party, but this year people were more positive.
At its worst, a volunteer was spat on during the last federal election.
"It was awful, it was over climate change policy," she said.
Cr Findley is also no stranger to being the subject of a political smear campaign.
In July, flyers titled 'Findley has Failed' were dropped into letterboxes across the Shoalhaven by former Independent councillor Andrew Guile.
"It's the same old trope that has been dragged out for every election that particular party have been involved in," she said.
"And I think that people are sick of it. And it reflects in their vote as well...people don't want to be participating in negative politics."
Cr Findley said she noticed less public harassment launched at the Greens and wider support during this year's campaign.
"People were well-behaved, I don't know if that's because their attitude had changed," she said.
"What's been really great throughout the campaign, people were really positive towards all of the Greens.
"The entire time I spent on pre poll and out on the streets campaigning, I think only had three negative comments."
Cr Findley said she has noticed Shoalhaven locals caring more about their environment and that they place trust in the Greens to look after it.
"I talk to people everyday on the street. They love where they live and they want it to be a nice place," said Cr Findley.
"I think they feel they can rely on the Greens locally to support community decision making."
Shoalhaven Independent councillor Greg Watson, who was first elected in September 1974, agreed there has been a shift in attitude among punters but said Shoalhaven City Council remains fundamentally conservative.
"It (Council) changes as you get changing attitudes," he said. "But it's fundamentally still a very conservative area made up by the demographic of people who live here.
"Amanda didn't really have any trouble being elected, in my view, from the day (mayoral candidate) Paul Green put his hand up, because that just split the conservative vote."
Cr Watson said his ticket maintained strong community support throughout the campaign.
"That support was rock solid as demonstrated by the results," he said.
"And unfortunately, the type of election we had and the fact everyone was distracted by COVID, and still are, people just didn't want to be (out voting)."
There was a higher than usual rate of informal votes of over 12 per cent this year.
Cr Watson said it was the lack of awareness around preference voting which hindered the count.
"They are votes where people didn't extend a preference, because they weren't aware they really should," he said.
"So you ended up with probably less than 50 per cent of the original ballots cast."
Cr Watson is thrilled to have been re-elected to Council.
"I have really loved being on council and I get great enjoyment out of helping people and resolving their issues," he said.
"I'll continue to make my contributions in the next term to the very best of my ability."
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