April 14, 2020
Kingaroy-based accountant Brett Otto will be the new South Burnett Mayor, although the results of the recent election have not yet been officially declared.
Mr Otto has scheduled a media conference for 8:00am on Wednesday where he will officially announce his victory.
However, if the ECQ declaration has not been made before then, this may be delayed.
southburnett.com.au understands that sitting mayor Keith Campbell has already shown Mr Otto around his office at the Council Chambers building in Kingaroy.
At 2:25pm on Monday, the official First Preference Count on the Electoral Commission of Queensland website showed Mr Otto in the lead by an unbeatable 609 votes, ie. Campbell 6836, Otto 7445.
Ironically, Mayor Campbell secured more votes at the 2020 poll than in 2016 but could not compete with Mr Otto’s campaign.
In 2016, Mayor Campbell secured 30.14 per cent of the vote (5549 votes) against four other candidates. In 2020, this had risen to 36.57 per cent (6836) against three challengers.
Mr Otto, in comparison, secured 39.83 per cent of the vote in 2020.
The first post-election sitting of the new Otto-led South Burnett Regional Council will be held from 9:00am on Friday (April 17).
Entry restrictions may apply.
Other new councillors making their debut on Friday will be Kirstie Schumacher (Division 3) and Scott Henschen (Division 6).
UPDATE 7:30pm: As the ECQ has not yet made a formal declaration, Mr Otto’s media conference has been postponed.
Congratulations to our new mayor, Brett Otto and best wishes for the big job ahead.
Sincere thanks and congratulations must go to our outgoing mayor, Keith Campbell. Your dedication and genuine love of your role was always evident. You never changed the way you treated or interacted with people regardless of how busy you were or who you were with. You can be very proud of your achievements throughout your tenure. Best wishes to you and Marion for your future.
Hear, hear Kay. I thoroughly endorse what you say about Keith Campbell. In multiple leadership roles, he has served the people of Kingaroy and South Burnett beyond the call of duty. It will be a big act for Brett Otto to follow but I am sure he will do the position proud.