June 9, 2015
by Anne Miller
The shape of the South Burnett Regional Council will look very different after the 2016 Council elections.
Unless altered in the meantime by legislation, all Queensland Council elections will be held on the last weekend in March next year.
Mayors and Councillors are elected to serve a four-year term.
This will be the third election since the forced amalgamation of the former Murgon, Wondai, Kingaroy and Nanango councils in 2008 to form the South Burnett Regional Council.
Mayor Wayne Kratzmann has already announced he will not be re-contesting his position.
Wayne Kratzmann was one of five candidates who stood for mayor at the 2008 election, where he received 47.76 per cent of the vote. Former Wondai mayor David Carter (the only Mayor from the four previous councils to stand) won the poll with 52.24 per cent (after preferences were distributed, 7974 votes to 7289).
At the 2012 election, Wayne Kratzmann indicated he would have another go, however this time, unexpectedly, David Carter did not re-nominate. As no one else nominated, Wayne Kratzmann was elected unopposed.
He told southburnett.com.au this week he would definitely not be changing his mind about the announcement he made late last month at the Mayor’s Ball that he would not run again.
This leaves open the question of who could put up their hands to stand for the Mayor’s job.
Current Deputy Mayor Keith Campbell (Division 4) is most likely to stand, with Division 3 councillor Damien Tessmann also considered a possibility.
If both of these councillors do stand for the Mayoral role, there will be new Council faces elected in the two “Kingaroy” divisions, Divisions 3 and 4.
Division 1 (Nanango) councillor Barry Green announced at a function in Nanango on Anzac Day Eve that he, too, would not be re-contesting his Division.
Division 2 (Blackbutt) councillor Deb Palmer, who has had health problems throughout her term, may also not re-stand.
This would mean “new faces” in both Divisions 1 and 2 as well.
Division 5 (Murgon / Proston) councillor Kathy Duff and Division 6 (Wondai / Kumbia) councillor Ros Heit are expected to restand.
So there is the real possibility of there being at least four new councillors plus a new Mayor elected next March.
Whatever happens at the poll, it’s certain that there will be a host of new faces sitting around the Council table at this time next year.
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External link: How Are People Chosen To Run The Council?
