Gold Coast City Council: What every divisional councillor spent on election bid

The Gold Coast’s 14 divisional councillors spent an eye-watering amount of money to get elected in March. New data reveals how much each vote cost them.

The Gold Coast’s divisional councillors spent $430,000 to get elected on March 28, new data reveals, with newcomer Mark Hammel shelling out the most per vote.

Electoral Commission of Queensland data has revealed the final primary votes of successful city councillors from this year’s council poll and their spending.

Of the 14 candidates to win seats, new Division 1 councillor Mark Hammel accounted for nearly one quarter of the spend, declaring more than $115,268 in total expenditure.

He received 8275 votes at a value of $13.93 per vote - the priciest of the lot.

RESIDENTS LAUNCH LEGAL FIGHT TO STOP BURLEIGH TOWER

Cr Mark Hammel. Picture: Jerad Williams

Cr Hammel said a lack of profile as a non-incumbent meant candidates needed to spend more.

“You have 27,000 people in a division who do not know who you are or what you are about,” he said.

“It is a huge exercise in telling the community who you are and what your vision is and it takes money.”

Mudgeeraba councillor Glenn Tozer, who was re-elected for a third term, spent just $4595.98 for 12,034 votes, the equivalent of a very thrifty 38 cents per vote.

Cr Tozer said he was relieved to have been the most frugal councillor in a competitive race.

NEW FOOTAGE: ALMOST COMPLETED JEWEL TOWERS REVEALED

Cr Glenn Tozer. Picture: Jerad Williams

“I am very pleased to have topped this particular leaderboard and so is my wife Jude who did not feel guilty at all when she demanded a new vegetable garden for our backyard afterwards,” he said.

The second-best councillor in terms of value for votes was Robina’s Cr Hermann Vorster who received 14,222 votes for $8623.62, around 61c per vote.

Cr Vorster, first elected in 2016, said his campaign was entirely self-funded.

“You can find yourself spending a lot of money if the priorities and the messages are not quite right,” he said. “If you know what the issues are you can be inclusive in your message and connect with voters immediately without the need of repetition.

WHERE COAST’S FIRST COMMERCIAL BEACH SHOULD BE

Cr Hermann Vorster. Picture: Jerad Williams

“While it does look like a modest spend, our campaign was entirely self-funded and it forced us to make every last penny count.”

The average campaign expenditure among the division councillors was $33,000. The largest spends were primarily centred on four new councillors – Cr Hammel, Brooke Patterson, Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden and Darren Taylor – with incumbent planning boss Cr Cameron Caldwell rounding out the top five.

Cr Caldwell faced one of the election’s toughest fights, going head-to-head with, and defeating, fellow incumbent councillor Kristyn Boulton.

Cr Darren Taylor. Picture: Jerad Williams

Cr Taylor, who won the so-called super division taking in Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach by 148 votes, spent $37,471. His primary opponent, former area councillor Eddy Sarroff, spent more than $40,000.

Cr Vorster, a highly experienced political campaigner before his own election, said the higher spend from non-incumbents was understandable.

“No doubt there is a greater challenge for new councillors to establish themselves,” he said.

“However, I think voters take their jobs very seriously and do not forgive those who take it for granted or rest on their laurels.”

Incumbent councillors generally spent significantly less according to the data.

Cr Peter Young. Picture: Jerad Williams

Nerang councillor Peter Young was automatically re-elected and did not campaign.

However, he declared more than $3600 in campaign expenditure.

Joining Crs Tozer and Vorster in low-spending races were Carrara councillor Bob La Castra, Helensvale’s William Owen-Jones, Palm Beach’s Daphne McDonald and Coolangatta’s Gail O’Neill, who all spent less than $20,000 in their re-election bids.