With more than 80 per cent of the vote counted, Paterson voters have resoundingly rejected recognising First Nations people in the constitution with an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
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More than two thirds rejected the proposal. As of Sunday morning the No campaign has won 70 per cent of the count in Labor MP Meryl Swanson's seat (56 of 50 polling places counted) and 71 per cent of the vote in the neighbouring Hunter electorate (70 of 73 polling places counted).
Living Hope Maitland Church of Christ near Green Hills was Paterson's busiest polling centre on Saturday and in the week leading up to the vote, with more than 15,000 votes cast.
In the division of Lyne, which stretches from Wauchope in the north to the northern suburbs of Maitland, the No vote was at 67 per cent with 89 of 93 booths counted. The federal electorate is held by National party MP David Gillespie.
In the Hunter, Newcastle was the only federal electorate to record a Yes majority vote. The Yes campaign won 54 per cent of the count in Labor MP Sharon Claydon's seat.
The Hunter results reflected the Yes campaign's strong results in inner-city areas across the nation and poor showing in outer suburban, regional and rural areas.
The results are in stark contrast to Labor's success in the region in last year's federal election, when the party won 54 per cent of the vote in Hunter, 53 per cent in Paterson, 56 per cent in Shortland and 68 per cent in Newcastle.
Newcastle-based Awabakal Local Aboriginal Land Council chief executive Kumarah Kelly said the referendum result had left her "disappointed" and "deflated".
"It felt good out there in the community today, but it wasn't the result we were looking for," she said.
"I know there's going to be a lot of disappointment in a lot of Aboriginal homes tonight."
Newcastle and Hunter for No campaign manager Blake Keating, a Liberal party member, said he was "elated" by the referendum results in the Hunter and across the nation.
"We're obviously very happy that the people in the Hunter have agreed with us," he said while celebrating at a pub in Shortland.
"The seat of Newcastle's still sort of in play, but it's quite obvious that the seats of Shortland, Hunter and Paterson are very strongly voting no."
In other news:
- Maitland votes: city heads to the polls for Voice to Parliament referendum
- 'Elated', 'deflated': Hunter reacts to referendum result
- 'We tried': Albanese to seek 'new way forward' after Voice goes down
- Regional Australia shouts 'no' in voice vote
- Lobby's new life: a surprising career change for former NBN newsreader
Ben Carr
Starting out as a reporter in Lightning Ridge in 2005, I returned to journalism in 2023 after 15 years spent in event production and technical services. Passionate about community news, contact me on ben.carr@austcommunitymedia.com.au or ph: 0484 524 000
Starting out as a reporter in Lightning Ridge in 2005, I returned to journalism in 2023 after 15 years spent in event production and technical services. Passionate about community news, contact me on ben.carr@austcommunitymedia.com.au or ph: 0484 524 000
Michael Parris
Michael Parris reports on politics for the Newcastle Herald. He started at the Herald in 1994 after working in the ABC Newcastle newsroom. Michael spent much of his career as a sub-editor before moving into political reporting in 2017. He was a finalist in the Sports Australia national media awards for his stories about a male-only tennis club in Newcastle. He has covered NSW and federal elections, state and federal budgets and local politics. He has also written extensively about the COVID-19 pandemic with a special focus on data analysis and the effects of lockdowns on the Hunter community.
Michael Parris reports on politics for the Newcastle Herald. He started at the Herald in 1994 after working in the ABC Newcastle newsroom. Michael spent much of his career as a sub-editor before moving into political reporting in 2017. He was a finalist in the Sports Australia national media awards for his stories about a male-only tennis club in Newcastle. He has covered NSW and federal elections, state and federal budgets and local politics. He has also written extensively about the COVID-19 pandemic with a special focus on data analysis and the effects of lockdowns on the Hunter community.
