Toowoomba council election 2024: Candidates have spent more than $78,000 so far on campaigns

A first-time Toowoomba council candidate is spending big as the 29 contenders gear up their campaigns ahead of a slate of forums held across the region. See the figures here:

Candidates for the Toowoomba Regional Council have disclosed more than $78,000 in advertising and promotional material, with two contenders having already spent more than $10,000 each.

With early voting opening in less than a week, new candidate Trevor Manteufel has spent more than $13,000 on his campaign, based on disclosures logs on the Electoral Commission of Queensland (ECQ) website.

Political stalwart and incumbent Kerry Shine is second with more than $10,600 in expenditure, followed by councillor Tim McMahon with $9453.

Nathan Essex and his Say No To Woke team (which includes Adam Carney) have spent nearly $5000 on their campaigns, having received more than $1200 in donations from a resident.

Council candidates are capped at $30,000 in campaign expenditure, which must include corflutes or signs they are reusing from previous elections.

It comes ahead of a slate of candidate forums to be held across the region from Tuesday February 27 until Tuesday March 12.

The forums and meet-and-greets, organised by the chamber/progress association members of the Darling Downs Regional Alliance, will be held in Toowoomba, Oakey, Yarraman, Crows Nest, Millmerran and Highfields over that period.

Another two, one run by the Darling Downs Environment Council and another organised by the Pittsworth District Alliance, have already been held.

The Chronicle has partnered with Triple M and the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce for a special council candidate forum at Clifford Park Racecourse on March 7, with all 27 contenders invited.

This will be followed by a mayoral candidate breakfast at the same venue on March 12, featuring incumbent Geoff McDonald and challenger Douglas Doelle.

Originally published as Toowoomba council election 2024: Candidates have spent more than $78,000 so far on campaigns