Meet all the candidates for the 2025 Mackay council by-election
To help make your democratic decision simpler, we’ve compiled the Mackay candidates and their pitches for why they should win your vote.
Mackay
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The Mackay region is gearing up for a council by-election with the candidates locked in.
Following the resignation of former councillor George Christensen nine people have put their hands up to replace him.
Mackay mayor Greg Williamson said the by-election was estimated to cost $569,000 and mail-in voting would conclude by 6pm on August 30, 2025.
“I’m just hoping that whoever wants to put up their hand has got the right agenda behind them and that agenda is the best we can possibly do … for the Mackay regional council footprint,” Mr Williamson said.
Meet the candidates in the 2025 by election by ballot order
Melissa Milton
Sarina resident and mother of two Melissa Milton wants to graduate from council employee to councillor.
Ms Milton said she had worked for the Mackay Regional Council for more than 18 years, focusing on quality assurance for regional infrastructure and construction.
“I’ve always wanted to be on council and I was just waiting until I could get up,” Ms Milton said.
“For me it’s sort of the pinnacle of my career … I think internal working knowledge of the council is really important.”
Living just south of Sarina, Ms Milton said she felt for rural ratepayers and wanted to improve council’s communication with those outside of Mackay’s inner suburbs.
“Better communication with what projects are happening so they’re not feeling forgotten about … really try and make them feel like council cares, council does care,” she said.
“There’s small tweaks that we can make internally that would make communication better for our rural residents.”
Ms Milton runs a business in her time outside of council and said if elected she will continue running her business, but make council her full time priority.
Greg Fisher
Having previously run with Justin Englert’s Your Solutions team as well as The Williamson Alliance and as an independent in 2024, Greg Fisher has once again thrown his hat in the ring.
A native to Finch Hatton, Mr Fisher has worn a few hats in his time including that of a machinery dealer, a forklift driver, meat worker and as of the past 20 years a waste pick-up business owner.
If elected, he wants to help pensioners and those without access to vehicles access waste removal by introducing a special pension voucher system.
His priorities also lie in “building a relationship with the people who can control our rates” and to work with state and federal government.
“There is an avenue to maintain our rates at the level they are and that is making sure that the money that the federal government supplies to one per cent of the GDP for local councils, it comes through to our council unimpeded by the state government,” he said.
He said having grown up in Finch Hatton and around Mackay driving trucks, he knows what’s required for the job and that he would beat the drum for the region.
“I’ve got a regional view but you only have a limited bucket,” he said.
“We’re actually in a pretty good position in Mackay because we’ve got a council with a balanced budget, we’ve got good councillors, we’ve got a good process and a good town.”
Andrew Deguara
A third generation Farleigh cane farmer turned casual sugar terminal worker is hoping to fill George Christensen’s empty seat.
Andrew Deguara ran his family’s farm for almost 40 years before he and his brother sold it.
Now he wants to make a positive contribution to his home region by joining council.
“Sometimes I question how they come to their decisions and why are they doing this and why they’re doing that,” Mr Deguara said.
“I was full of opinions so I said if I talk the talk I might as well walk the walk.”
Mr Deguara volunteers in his spare time with the Mackay Musical Comedy Players and builds the set for its shows.
He said if elected to council he wants to focus on “building Mackay up for the future”.
“Sort of try and make the right decisions where the city and the region are heading,” Mr Deguara said.
Mr Deguara said he wanted to prioritise main works over “cosmetic things”.
“It’s just as important to prioritise our main work like in roads, maintaining parks and walkways,” Mr Deguara said.
Ian Christensen
Father of former councillor George Christensen and former council candidate himself, Ian Christensen hopes to take his son’s empty seat at the round table.
It will be his fourth time throwing his hat in the ring after missed attempts in 2016, 2020 and 2024 with Team Jacko Mackay First, but the 71-year-old said he’s ready to “repay back to the district”.
Mr Christensen prides himself as a jack of many trades having worked as a taxi owner in the 70s, to establishing a small parts manufacturing business, to his most recent venture supplying online UTI medicine products.
His priorities lie, however, with Sugar Cane farmers who he said were paying exorbitant council rates on their land.
“The Farming community was the backbone of Mackay, it wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Sugar Cane,” he said.
Mr Christensen also said he would advocate for returned soldiers and service people in general and work to rename a piece of iconic Mackay infrastructure after Victoria Cross recipient Keith Payne VC.
Kimberly Doyle
Kimberly Doyle has thrown her hat into the ring for council once again after missing out in 2024.
Running as an independent, Ms Doyle secured 17,805 votes, with around 24,000 votes needed to win a seat in the 2024 election.
“My goal last year was to get 200 votes as a minimum and with 1500 as my big, hairy, awesome goal,” Ms Doyle said.
Ms Doyle said she fell in love with Mackay when she visited in 1994 and has “found it a fantastic place to belong”.
Previously a full time disability support worker, her job took a back seat when she began homeschooling her daughter due to her struggle with anxiety.
Now – with her daughter happily back in school – she wants to join council and “help Mackay grow”.
“With a finance broker background I have a keen understanding of balance sheets … we as community have to think of better ways to grow and grow infrastructure,” Ms Doyle said.
An avid volunteer Ms Doyle won the 2025 Queensland Volunteer of the Year award for her work with Special Olympics Mackay Fire and Special Olympics Queensland.
If elected to council Ms Doyle said council will be her full time job, but said she would not give up her volunteer responsibilities as she feels it “keeps me engaged with the community”.
Anne Baker
Former Isaac region mayor and Labor’s Burdekin electorate hopeful Anne Baker is hoping to return to local government as part of the Mackay council.
Ms Baker spent 17 years representing the Isaac region as a councillor and mayor securing a new hospital for Moranbah during that time and spearheading the Save Glenden campaign.
After spending the first part of 2025 reflecting on her future, Ms Bakers said she’s all in for Mackay.
“I looked at this through the lens of opportunity … and (I’m in it) until the end of the term,” Ms Baker said.
“I’ve still got a lot to offer. I’ve got a lot of knowledge. I’ve got a lot of experience.”
Ms Baker said she had been humbled by the community’s response since announcing her candidacy, which she described as “just a good fit”.
Ms Baker said she would bring strong leadership, communication skills “and a people-first focus.”
“I back myself every day of the week to work very hard on having respectful, professional relationships,” she said.
Dion Loader
Dion Loader moved to Mackay 10 years ago from NSW with his family.
Since then he’s started his own painting and maintenance business as well as volunteer organisation Tidy Towns Mackay.
Now he’s asking his community to elect him to council.
Mr Loader said he put his hand up for council because of his interest in politics.
“I wanted to see a change in our local council,” Mr Loader said.
“We need new blood in there and fresh ideas … move this town forward and create more tourism in the town because it just seems so dormant.”
Mr Loader said if he’s elected to council he wants to work to bring back the Mackay Sugar festival — something a number of council candidates called for in 2024 — and wants to include a parade in Mackay’s Christmas celebrations.
“I think at the end of the day I just want people to vote for the right cause and to study what all the other candidates are giving back to the region,” Mr Loader said.
He said if elected he would continue volunteering with Tidy Towns and Mackay Wanderers FC, but would treat the position as a full time job.
Melanie Laas
Wedding content creator Melanie Laas said she offered ‘no-nonsense’ solutions as the next Mackay councillor.
Ms Laas runs a film and photography production company for weddings called Emme Influence by Melanie and previously had roles with the Resource Industry Network and Strategic Media Partners marketing agency.
Ms Laas said she has a long background in town planning, infrastructure and construction.
“I know that extraordinary progress comes from balancing strategic direction and industry growth with everyday community needs,” Ms Laas said.
Ms Laas emphasised sustainable growth as a priority and told residents to expect clear thinking and “no-nonsense” solutions if she’s elected to council.
Jeff Keioskie
Jeff Keioskie first became involved with local government in 1985 with his involvement in a community petition to formally amalgamate the Pioneer Shire and Mackay City councils.
From his time in the building industry as a contractor, carpenter and site project manager where he won several Housing Industry Building awards, to his contributions to the community as SES welfare manager for his church, Mr Keioskie feels he has an “unwavering” commitment to Mackay.
After an attempt in last year’s election, the fourth generation Mackay local will run for the position once again and said that with a 45-year career as a building inspector, he would be a strong and experienced voice in matters such as town planning.
“There’s no councillor with the experience I’ve got,” he said.
If elected, Mr Keioskie said he would like to talk to local stakeholders and deliver a homelessness plan for the growing housing crisis in the region.
“Until you have those meetings you can’t pre-empt anything,” he said.
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