Counting continues but swearing in may be next week

Voters and ratepayers in Logan are likely to be forced to wait until after Easter to get full results of last month’s council election, with the coronavirus adding to delays with a swearing-in ceremony.

Logan City Council Mayoral candidates, Stewart Fleming, Paul Taylor, Darren Power, John Freeman and Sherry Heath practise social distancing rules on polling day. AAP Image/Richard Walker

VOTERS and ratepayers in Logan are likely to be forced to wait until after Easter to get full results of last month’s council election.

No results will be known until after the postal vote deadline on Tuesday, April 6 and requests for recounts and Easter is likely to cause further delays.

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Mayor-elect Darren Power said the slow counting would mean he and his new council would not be sworn in until the end of next week.

He said he had received a phone call from the Interim Administrator Tamara O’Shea who had to represent the council at this week’s meeting of existing mayors with the premier to discuss COVID-19.

Ms O’Shea congratulated Mr Power and said she would get a briefing for him about coronavirus when he was instated.

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“It makes it difficult because people think I am doing the job right now – but I have no power yet,” he said.

“We are not getting sworn in for some time and people are expecting me to do the job straight away.

“If there are no recounts we could be sworn in next Thursday at the Entertainment Centre but with no public attendance because of the social distancing rules.”

Breaches to social distancing rules were used as the reason for closing the city’s tips on Wednesday.