Who is running in Gympie council elections 2024
With nomination ballots closed and the voting order decided, meet the 26 candidates who want to form the Gympie council for the next four years. Read the full list of candidate profiles and vote on the major issues council needs to address.
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From businessmen and women, to football stars, tradies, farmers, office workers and retail managers, 26 people nominated to run in the Gympie council election.
For some it heralds a whole new adventure, for others it is about getting back onto the decision-making table and they will be around the community campaigning for the next few weeks to win your vote.
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On March 16, 2024, Gympie residents will head to the polls to choose eight councillors and one mayor who will steer the direction for the next four years of the more than 55,000 residents living within its boundaries, from Rainbow Beach to Goomeri, and Kybong to Woolooga.
In the white brick foyer of the Senior Citizens Club on Mellor St in Gympie, 26 envelopes with names were drawn to decide the order of names on the voting slip.
The procedure formally closes the nominations as full-campaign election mode begins.
Of the seven women and 19 men nominated, seven candidates are fighting to keep their place on the council table, four are wanting to make a comeback as councillors and twelve are running for the very first time.
Here are the candidates as they will appear on the ballot slip:
Mayoral Candidates
Naomi Wilson
Former paramedic, military transport driver, businesswoman and carpenter Naomi Wilson has announced her intention to run for Gympie region mayor at the March 16 election.
Taking on multiple roles, careers and jobs, Ms Wilson said she has experience from all walks of life and industries.
Glen Hartwig
Glen Hartwig became Gympie’s current mayor in 2020 after defeating Mick Curran.
Before he was the region’s mayor, Glen Hartwig served a term as a councillor, owned a sandblasting business and had a career with the Queensland Police.
Mark McDonald
Tin Can Bay businessman Mark McDonald is taking a second shot for council, but this time running for the top job as mayor. He served two terms as a councillor for Division 1.
Division 1
Jess Milne
Jess Milne was voted in as Division 1 councillor in 2020 and has held the portfolio of environment and waste, IT and finance.
Ms Milne has described herself as “an energetic and enthusiastic mother of two who has lived in and around the Gympie area almost my entire life”.
Hilary Smerdon
Serving two terms as Division 6 councillor, the incumbent Deputy Mayor Hilary Smerdon is challenging for the east of Gympie.
Mr Smerdon owns property at Tin Can Bay and has held the portfolio of water and wastewater, civil works and design, asset management, facilities, property and open space.
FULL STORY: DIVISION 1 CONTEST
Division 2
Dolly Jensen
Theebine resident, former bank employee and passionate Gympie advocate Dolly Jensen will contest her seat in Division 2 once again.
She won it in the 2020 election, which was currently held by Glen Hartwig.
Marcel Claassens
Victory Heights resident Marcel Claassens said he has lived for seven years in Gympie and is “a sole trader in disability”.
Mr Claassens said he “wants fluoride taken out of town water”, a “rate rise freeze subject to an independent audit” and a community garden competition.
Division 3
Shane Warnes
Born, raised and educated in Gympie, Shane Warnes is a self-funded retiree who worked in waste management at the Gympie Regional Council for much of his life. On his Facebook page, he said he wants to sees upgrades to Gympie’s water and sewerage system, roads widened and maintained, and more support for trades though Gympie TAFE.
Charlie Horne
As a lifelong resident of Gympie, Charlie Horne has had an influence on the region through his work as a businessman and curator.
The 72-year-old is throwing his hat into the ring and said his desire to step into local government was “to look after what we’ve got”.
Division 4
Rae Gate
Semi-retired former real estate agent Rae Gate served two terms as a councillor from 2008-16.
Semi-retired and having just finished off a work-from-home contract with the health industry, Ms Gate is an experienced election candidate who has also served two full terms as a Gympie councillor and was once acting mayor.
“I’m a member of this community, I’m a resident of Division 4, and I believe I have the enthusiasm, the energy, the skills and the experience to work on Gympie Regional Council,” she said.
With decades of experience in the events management, electricity industry, customer service management, and serving as the secretary of the Gympie District Show Society, Ms Gate said she has the “wide ranging skills and service” for the job.
Full interview and campaign platform of Ms Gate here:
Michael Torrens
Gympie District and Driving School owner Michael Torrens, a former council and mill worker, said he was passionate about roads, rates, rubbish and sports facilities. Read his profile here.
Mick Curran
Town planning, sports grounds and keeping council staff are on the top of the list for councillor candidate and Gympie’s ex-mayor Mick Curran in his bid for the seat of Division 4 in the March 16 council elections. Read his profile here.
Bruce Devereaux
Running to keep his place on the council, Bruce Devereaux is a self-described “blogger, keyboard warrior, mispronouncer of ‘memes’, father of seven, all-round self-titled nice guy, appreciator of fine hops and coffee snob”.
He said he was looking forward to getting the Civic Centre up and running, more communication around road maintenance including implementing a star rating system, town planning and more green spaces throughout the city.
Wayne Boyd
Wayne Boyd said he was running for councillor to investigate ways to set up safe homeless refuges, and wants to update the subdivision of town and upgrading water and sewerage pipes.
Division 5
Kris Kahler
Electrician by day and under 15s footy coach by evening, former NRL player Kris Kahler said he brought to Gympie first-hand knowledge of sports, but also experience as an electrician specialising in lights at road and traffic intersections. Read his profile here.
Dan Stewart
Former public servant Dan Stewart is the current councillor and holds the portfolio for planning and regulatory compliance, arts, culture, libraries, community development and customer service. He is looking at being re-elected for a third term.
Allona Lahn
Allona Lahn moved to Mothar Mountain from the Sunshine Coast and said she loves the region.
A mother, a former business owner and manager she is active in the community and wants to bring fresh ideas a bit of sparkle to Gympie.
Ms Lahn moved from Mooloolaba to her 91 acre (37ha) farm three years ago and said she “absolutely loves it here”.
In her time tending to the farm and homeschooling her 10-year-old she said she has become part of the community, revitalising the Mother Mt community hall with fresh produce markets.
She said she wants to run for council because she “can see a lot of opportunities in Gympie that aren’t being utilised to their full potential”.
Ms Lahn’s full interview and profile here
Division 6
Warren McEwan
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.
Brian Thomas
Kilkivan lucerne and beef producer Brian Thomas was once a councillor on the Kilkivan Shire Council before it was amalgamated with Cooloola. Mr Thomas believes a strong family is the backbone of any community.
Dave Golding
Living in Sexton, retired farmer Dave Golding is highly involved in the equestrian community. He said he wants to see better infrastructure in Goomeri and Kilkivan to better support the ageing population as well as bolster population growth.
Full interview and story on Mr Golding here
Division 7
Donna Reardon
Donna Reardon working career is diverse, ranging from hospitality, retail, vocational childcare and real estate.
Sean Connelly
Volunteer and community advocate Sean Connelly was been named Gympie’s Citizen of the Year this year and is now throwing his hat into the ring for a seat on Gympie’s council.
Warren Polley
Owner of Polleys bus company, Warren Polley is going for his second term in council and held the portfolios of IT and finance, economic development, tourism, events and communication.
Tim Jerome
Southside resident and schoolteacher Tim Jerome has experience running for mayor, federal and state elections and is trying his hand at Division 7. He said he is passionate about maintaining the balance between “people and the environment”.
Division 8
Ruth Golden
An outback woman with a long experience for working as an engineer in Maranoa Council as well as serving time as Quilpie and Bungil councillor, Ruth Golden is making a vie for the Mary Valley seat.
Gordon Maudsley
Gordon Maudsley has been in the building industry for about 30 years, including working at Bundaberg, Gladstone and the Torres Strait. The Mary Valley builder is passionate about fixing the roads, and tackling weeds and waste management.
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