A by-election will take place in the Kiama electorate next month following the resignation of convicted MP Gareth Ward.
Voters in the NSW south coast electorate will head to the polls on Saturday September 13 to elect Ward’s replacement.
It comes just days after Ward resigned from NSW Parliament from behind bars.
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Ward was convicted in July of four sex offences relating to incidents against two young men in 2013 and 2015.
“Subsequent upon receipt of the resignation of Gareth Ward, I wish to announce that a by-election for the vacant seat of Kiama will be held on Saturday 13 September 2025,” Speaker of the NSW Legislative Assembly Greg Piper said.
“Consequent to advice received from the NSW Electoral Commission and consultation with relevant stakeholders, I informed the Electoral Commissioner Ms Rachel McCallum of my intention to issue the writ on 22 August 2025 for a by-election to be held on Saturday 13 September 2025 in the seat of Kiama.”
Nominations for Ward’s replacement will open on August 22 and early voting will start on September 6.
The long-standing former member would still be able to run again at the upcoming by-election if he chose to do so.
Ward resigned just moments before members were set to vote on the first motion of expulsion in 107 years.
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Premier Chris Minns told reporters outside parliament that the resignation was “three or four days too late” after Ward lost his last-minute legal challenge against the motion of his expulsion.
“We believe this resignation should have come earlier,” he said.
“The circumstances relating to it meant that a lot of time, effort and energy was spent in the NSW Supreme Court proving what most people who live in this state would have known instinctively, and that is that if you’re convicted of some of the most serious charges, sexual assault in NSW, you can’t sit as a serving member of parliament drawing a parliamentary salary.
“How can you represent your community from behind bars in Cessnock? How can you do constituent interviews?”
Minns also confirmed Labor would put up a candidate for Kiama, but acknowledged that it would be an “incredibly difficult contest”.
The former Kiama MP still has time to lodge an appeal over his July convictions.
Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).
