Newcastle ALP preselection challenge one for the history books

If successful, the campaign would unseat Newcastle lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes and her six Labor councillor colleagues, including deputy lord mayor Declan Clausen, who together hold the balance of power in the city.

Tensions have been building in the lead-up to the September local government election with candidates putting their hands up to replace incumbent Labor councillors, joined by Dr Ross Kerridge just before close of nominations on Thursday.

The last preselection challenge involving a contest for spots across all four wards occurred in 1995 when, party sources say, there were 300 votes from the rank and file, which might be down to 250 this time.

The 1995 challenge saw Greg Heys roll John McNaughton as lord mayor and brought on board Labor councillors Mary Gaynor, Keith Parsons and Barbara Gaudry.

Mr McNaughton, a member of the ALP's right faction, had been elected lord mayor in 1986 and was re-elected twice.

It was the first time Newcastle was split up into four wards, each electing three councillors, for a total of 13, including the lord mayor.

In August 2014, Jeff McCloy resigned as lord mayor and Nuatali Nelmes won the mayoral by-election which followed.

Her seat on council was filled by another Labor candidate at a February 2015 by-election, giving the centre-left a majority on the council.

According to the Labor party rule book, rank-and-file branch members are permitted to vote only if they are approved by a virtual committee.

In a process referred to as "credentialling", the names of eligible members put forward by each of the 12 branches will be vetted to ensure they have been a member for the requisite two years, attended at least two meetings per year, are a financial member and listed on the roll.

"Most of the people who are not involved with the council would probably be against the incumbents, but a small number hold the view that you never run against an incumbent," one source said.

Members of 10 years or more get an automatic ticket, and there could be as many as 100 of those.

The credentialling process will take place over the next two Saturdays ahead of the pre-selection on February 17.

The move comes amid an increasingly bitter split between Newcastle Labor members aligned to lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes and those who support Wallsend MP Sonia Hornery.

The two women have been locked in a public slanging match this year over a range of issues, including the "privatisation" of council pools, alleged "bullying", council spending and Mr Bath.

In addition to that, the incumbent Labor majority on the council has faced internal criticism from some rank-and-file members over the council's record.

The Scott Neylon letter controversy has become another weapon in the long-running war raging within local Labor party ranks.

Meanwhile, speculation is raging within the party over who will replace Ms Hornery as Wallsend MP when she retires and Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp if his political career does not survive an ongoing Independent Commission Against Corruption investigation.

The Herald reported last month that Adamstown branch member Paige Johnson would head up a council ticket challenging councillor Carol Duncan.

Beresfield branch secretary Tahlia Kelso announced on Thursday that she had nominated in ward four on a ticket with Mary Harrington and Julie Davies.

Newcastle Labor local government committee member Sandra Feltham, who lives at Mayfield, has nominated in ward one against deputy lord mayor Declan Clausen on a ticket with Shirley Schulz-Robinson and Lezlie Tilley.

Dr Kerridge is also involved in a ward-three ticket, headed by Linda Barter, which will challenge incumbents Margaret Wood and Peta Winney-Baartz.