All Local Councils Now Decided

April 2, 2024

The race for mayor and councillors has now been decided in all councils across the local region.

Kathy Duff was declared mayor of the South Burnett last Thursday; the declarations for the outstanding South Burnett positions of Division 1 and Division 4 were made on Monday.

The Statutory Meeting – where all councillors are formally inducted – will be held in the South Burnett Regional Council’s Warren Truss Chambers in Kingaroy from 9:00am on Thursday.

This meeting will be livestreamed on Council’s website

Declarations have now been also be completed in the outstanding councillor polls in adjoining regions (see below).

Toowoomba mayor Geoff McDonald and the 10 TRC councillors will be sworn in during a special ceremony at Toowoomba City Hall on Wednesday (April 3) which will be livestreamed here

Western Downs mayor Andrew Smith and the eight WDRC councillors will be sworn in on Thursday evening (April 4) at the Lapunyah Art Gallery in Chinchilla.

* * *

South Burnett

With 22,040 official first preference votes been counted in the South Burnett mayoral poll:

• SCHUMACHER, Kirstie – 5263
• DUFF, Kathy – 9030 – DECLARED
• WILSON, Tom – 2540
• JONES, Gavin – 4694
• Informal – 513

Division 1

With 3615 official first preference votes counted:

• DE WEERS, Tom – 1634
• ERKENS, Jane – 1869 – DECLARED
• Informal – 112

Division 2

With 3750 official first preference votes counted:

• LITTLE, Linda – 1655 – DECLARED
• GRANT, Douglas – 900
• HAZELTON, Wendy – 998
• Informal – 197

Division 3

• Position was uncontested.  Cr Danita Potter has been re-elected unopposed.

Division 4

With 3673 official first preference votes counted:

• DALY, Gerald – 222
• SCHUBACK, Seth – 232
• ANDERSSON, Dan – 438
• WESTBROOK, Heidi – 1187
• DENNIEN, Deb – 1472 – DECLARED
• Informal – 122

Division 5

With 3646 official first preference votes counted:

• BATTESE, Stuart – 1141
• WALTERS, Allan – 616
• SANDER, Heath – 1755 – DECLARED
• Informal – 134

Division 6

With 4054 official first preference votes counted:

• HENSCHEN, Scott – 1270
• HEIT, Ros – 2696 – DECLARED
• Informal – 88

* * *

Cherbourg

Bruce Simpson is the new mayor of Cherbourg after achieving more than 50 per cent of the vote, defeating sitting mayor Elvie Sandow.

With 379 votes counted, the tally in the official first preference count is:

• SANDOW, Elvie – 100
• SIMPSON, Bruce – 200 – DECLARED
• MURRAY, Arnold – 78
• Informal – 1

Councillors

With 1480 votes in the official first preference count, the four successful councillors are:

• MURRAY, Bronwyn – 88
• SAUNDERS, Elgan – 88
• SIMPSON, Errol – 139
• FISHER, Carla – 169 – DECLARED
• SALTNER, James Dodd – 123
• WRAGGE, Gordon – 145 – DECLARED
• WATSON, Luella – 142
• COSTELLO, Leighton – 92
• WEAZEL, Daniel – 160 – DECLARED
• BUTTON, Cindy – 66
• LANGTON, Thomas – 164 – DECLARED
• COBBO, Fred – 104
• Informal – 9

* * *

Gympie

Sitting mayor Glen Hartwig has been re-elected mayor of the Gympie Regional Council.

With 35,674 votes counted, the tally in the official first preference count is:

• WILSON, Naomi – 8640
• HARTWIG, Glen – 18,645 – DECLARED
• McDONALD, Mark – 6865
• Informal – 1524

Division 6

Glastonbury resident Warren McEwan has been elected councillor for Division 6. With 4579 votes counted, the tally in the official first preference count is:

• McEWAN, Warren – 2543 – DECLARED
• THOMAS, Brian – 796
• GOLDING, Dave – 965
• Informal – 275

NB. Former Division 6 councillor and Deputy Mayor Hilary Smerdon, who vacated his Division at the end of the last term, has failed in his bid to wrest Division 1 from incumbent councillor Jess Milne. Former Mayor Mick Curran has defeated incumbent Bruce Deveraux in Division 4.

* * *

North Burnett

Sitting mayor Les Hotz has been re-elected mayor in the North Burnett Regional Council election.

With 6211 votes counted, the tally in the official first preference count is:

• HOTZ, Les – 2342 – DECLARED
• RADEL, Robbie – 2010
• HUTH, Peter – 1789
• Informal – 70

Division 1

Melinda Jones has been re-elected councillor of Division 1. With 1010 votes counted, the tally in the official first preference count is:

• ROFE, David – 329
• JONES, Melinda – 658 – DECLARED
• Informal – 23

Division 2

Mundubbera businesswoman Trina Vaughan has been elected councillor for Division 2. With 896 votes counted, the tally in the official first preference count is:

• VAUGHAN, Trina – 324 – DECLARED
• MESNER, Kingsley – 271
• GUINEY, Malitha – 279
• Informal – 22

Division 3 

• Position was uncontested.  Cr Susan Payne has been re-elected unopposed.

Division 4

With 883 votes counted, the tally in the official first preference count is:

• GIDDINS, Dael – 392
• McGILVERY, Renee – 482 – DECLARED
• Informal – 9

Division 5

Michael Dingle has been re-elected councillor of Division 5. With 1199 votes counted, the tally in the official first preference count is:

• COEURLEROI, Kris – 449
• DINGLE, Michael – 732 – DECLARED
• Informal – 18

Division 6

Biggenden resident Moira Thompson has been elected councillor for Division 6. With 1111 votes counted, the tally in the official first preference count is:

• MARTIN, Glen – 262
• CHANDLER, Eddie – 325
• THOMPSON, Moira – 381 – DECLARED
• BAILEY, Michelle – 125
• Informal – 18

* * *

Somerset

Cr Jason Wendt has been elected mayor of the Somerset Regional Council ahead of fellow councillor Sean Choat.

With 16,503 votes counted, the tally in the official first preference count is:

• CHOAT, Sean – 6179
• WENDT, Jason – 9683 – DECLARED
• Informal – 641

With 89,952 votes in the official first preference count, the six successful councillors are:

• HURLEY, Tiara – 10,098 – DECLARED
• BISHOP, Michael – 6723 – DECLARED
• JONES, Tracey – 5256
• WILLOCKS, Glenys – 5802
• FREESE, Brett – 8057 – DECLARED
• ISIDRO, Kylee – 7119 – DECLARED
• LEFRINGHAUSEN, Astrid – 2434
• JESS, Sally – 9269 – DECLARED
• BRIESCHKE, Helen – 9330 – DECLARED
• BURROW, Shane – 4181
• MacDONALD, Alastair – 3844
• DAVIES, Bronwyn – 5320
• WHALLEY, Bob – 6506
• SMITH, Alistair – 6013
• Informal – 1489

* * *

Toowoomba

Geoff McDonald has been re-elected Mayor of Toowoomba Regional Council. 

With 103,232 votes counted, the tally in the official first preference count is:

• DOELLE, Douglas – 18,056
• McDONALD, Geoff – 85,176 – DECLARED
• Informal – 5535

Councillors

With 972,460 votes counted,  the 10 successful councillors are:

• VONHOFF, Rebecca – 77,397 – DECLARED
• McPHIE, Scot – 29,207
• ESSEX, Nathan – 27,976
• TAYLOR, Carol – 52,561 – DECLARED
• CARNEY, Adam – 22,442
• McMAHON, Tim – 56,265 – DECLARED
• REESON, Andrew – 31,890
• RELVAS, Robert – 23,951
• BRAMELD, Chris – 27,121
• PARKER, Ellisa – 28,645
• TAYLOR, Melissa – 60,401 – DECLARED
• WESTGARTH, Leeanne – 18,438
• WESTGARTH, George – 13,912
• WILSON, Paul – 30,086
• O’SHEA, James – 60,790 – DECLARED
• WESTGARTH, Angus – 11,315
• CAHILL, Bill – 50,050 – DECLARED
• ORFORD, Mark – 31,492
• HARTWIG, Martin – 18,801
• FARQUHAR, Edwina – 48,765 – DECLARED
• MANTEUFEL, Trevor – 39,979 – DECLARED
• ADHIKARI, Eakraj – 28,163
• McINTYRE, Michelle – 24,626
• SHINE, Kerry – 58,902 – DECLARED
• KING, David – 23,138
• MINGAY, Gavin – 18,992
• GARDNER, Gary – 57,155 – DECLARED
• Informal – 11,384

* * *

Western Downs

Former councillor Andrew Smith has been elected mayor of Western Downs Regional Council.

With 18,335 votes counted, the tally in the official first preference count is:

• SMITH, Andrew – 13,687 – DECLARED
• STRANDQUIST, Glenn – 4306
• Informal – 342

Councillors

With 138,880 votes counted, the eight successful councillors are:

• MAGUIRE, Kaye – 13,848 – DECLARED
• OLM, Greg – 13,067 – DECLARED
• BOURNE, Kylie – 14,625 – DECLARED
• MOORE, George – 13,366 – DECLARED
• PRENZLER, Kathryn – 10,660
• JAMES, Megan – 14,818 – DECLARED
• BOUGOURE, Sophie – 13,657 – DECLARED
• CONDON, Sam – 12,688 – DECLARED
• RIES, Robert – 9453
• SAXELBY, Peter – 13,821 – DECLARED
• CARVOSSO, David – 8877
• Informal – 607

[UPDATED. Published originally as “Duff Leading Mayoral Poll”, “Duff Takes Strong Lead”, “Duff Still Leads Mayoral Poll”, “Duff Waits As Other Polls Decided”, “More Official Council Results”, “All Mayors Now Elected”, “South Burnett Council Decided”]

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