Warren McEwan runs for Gympie Council Division 6 at Qld election

A former butcher, Gympie Show Society stalwart and farm worker is among the new faces fighting for a seat at the 2024 Gympie Council, even if it risked achieving little more than ‘banging your head up against a wall’.

A “country boy at heart”, Warren McEwan has spent decades helping keep the country spirit alive through his work with the Gympie Show Society and Gympie and District Beef Liaison Group.

Now he wants to keep country front and centre with the Gympie Regional Council.

Mr McEwan is running for the Division 6 seat now vacated by Deputy Mayor Hilary Smerdon, who is now contesting incumbent Jess Milne for the Division 1 seat.

It will be the first tilt at council for the one-time Coles butcher and Glastonbury landowner, who was not affiliated with any political party.

He said he threw his hat into the ring in the hope he could make a difference.

“I don’t know whether it’s possible … but a lot of people wish me luck and say you’ll be banging your head up against a wall,” Mr McEwan said.

Warren McEwan said roads, and ensuring regional towns like Goomeri were given their fair share, were key parts of his election platform in his run for the Division 6 seat. Picture: Facebook, Diane Frola

Roads was the top priority of his election platform, a particular challenge given so many out west were state or federal controlled.

“There’s no harm in lobbying … to get our state roads fixed,” Mr McEwan said.

“Especially in our area out there, there are so many wrong things that have happened.”

The impact of high-voltage power lines needed for renewable projects like the proposed Borumba Dam pumped hydro plant and the Forest Wind wind farm at Tuan was on the list too, as was making sure the regional western towns were not left out.

“We don’t get much of a look in as far as I’m concerned,” Mr McEwan said.

Married and a father of two teenagers, Mr McEwan also ran two businesses, one working cattle, and an online outlet selling meat as far away as Miriam Vale, Toowoomba, and the Gold Coast.

Watch: Residents revolt over what could well be Gympie’s worst road

His downtime looked remarkably like what he did for work.

Mr McEwan said his hobby was “basically farming”, and he would often spend his weekends helping people catch cattle.

“Probably the most thinking I do is when I’m sitting on the back of a horse riding along, just minding my own business behind a mob of cows,” Mr McEwan said.

The council elections are being held on March 16.