Veteran councillor Daphne McDonald faces political fight in Gold Coast's March poll

A veteran councillor is facing the political fight of her life if she decides to stand at the March poll, according to council poll insiders.

VETERAN councillor Daphne McDonald is facing the political fight of her life if she decides to stand at the March poll, according to council election insiders.

The former deputy mayor, first elected in 1991, declined to comment on her political future when approached after a fiery Town Hall meeting at Currumbin on Tuesday night.

The new Division 13 council boundary map showing Burleigh Heads will be part of the Palm Beach division.

Her two rival candidates in the Burleigh and Palm Beach electorate of Division 13 – ABC morning radio host Bern Young and writer Katrina Beikoff – both attended the meeting and spoke to residents.

Ms Beikoff wrote on her website that she would offer “smart solutions for our community” and assured residents that as a councillor she could “regain control of development”.

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Katrina Beikoff will be running in Division 13.

Ms Young, a Burleigh resident who was a state school parents and citizens leader, has an important advantage because new boundary changes extend the division north across Tallebudgera Creek.

New mapping for the council division boundaries shows the traditional Palm Beach division includes the Burleigh business area and west into the suburb, adding up to a third of the new division.

“The big issues in Palm Beach are development and light rail. Katrina appears to be anti-light rail and limiting development,” a council insider said.

“Bern also appears to be limiting development but developing the best sensible outcomes for light rail. If you are looking for a progressive candidate, you would pick Bern because light rail is coming to Burleigh one way or another.”

ABC radio host and journalist Bern Young will also contest Division 13. Pic Mike Batterham

Rather than take a negative view, Ms Young wrote on her website that she would ensure the city was “building Burleigh business” during the construction of light rail stage 3A.

Cr McDonald is expected to run but even her closest colleagues at city hall say, “I’m not sure she is going to win”.

Cr McDonald was strongly applauded by a packed room of 288 residents and political candidates who attended Tuesday night’s meeting.

One of her friends later told the Bulletin: “She been pretty tight-lipped about what she is doing.”

Cr McDonald complained to the Office of the Independent Assessor late last year about alleged “inappropriate conduct” towards her by Mayor Tom Tate, after she received an email in which he accused her of making a misleading Facebook post.

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Division 13 Councillor Daphne McDonald at a town hall meeting. Picture Glenn Hampson.

The Councillor Conduct Tribunal later found there was insufficient evidence that the Mayor had exceeded his authority leaving the matter to be decided at council, sparking tension in councillor ranks.

The Mayor accused Cr McDonald of helping organise a protest against him during a plaque-unveiling ceremony for the opening of the $18 million reef, but residents later stood by their area councillor saying they organised the last-minute rally.

Cr McDonald is supported by outspoken anti-light rail campaigner Karen Rowles who with a Facebook page of more 3300 “likes” rallies the protest vote against Cr Tate.