Surfer Chris Homer unseats Marianne Saliba as Shellharbour Mayor in election boilover

A surfer and mortgage broker with no political experience is set to be elected mayor of a south coast city in one of the biggest upsets of the New South Wales council elections. Key points: Shellharbour surfer Chris Homer is set to be elected mayor in a shock election result Mr Homer's campaign benefited from the grass-roots effort to stop development at popular surfing reserve Killalea The result marks the end of Labor incumbent Marianne Saliba's 10 years in council ABC election analyst Antony Green has tipped independent candidate Chris Homer to win the mayoral race in the Illawarra city of Shellharbour, with a population of more than 70,000. Mr Homer has secured 52.8 per cent of the total vote and established an unassailable lead over the Labor incumbent Marianne Saliba. On the campaign trail, Mr Homer promised voters a "fresh wave of leadership", a slogan unambiguously referencing his work protecting famous surfing break Killalea State Park. The result marks the end of Shellharbour Mayor Marianne Saliba's 10 years in council.