Gold Coast City Council election 2024: Latest results in Division 7 and Division 14
The next Gold Coast City Council is taking shape with several successful candidates now officially declared. FIND OUT MORE
Council Election
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The next Gold Coast City Council is taking shape with several successful candidates now officially declared.
The Electoral Commission of Queensland on Wednesday declared the count in four Gold Coast local government divisions.
Naomi Fowler was announced the winner in Division 2 vacated by long-serving councillor William Owen-Jones who did not recontest the seat.
“Can’t wait to embark on the next steps, including onboarding with City of Gold Coast and getting sworn in alongside new council very soon,” she wrote on her official Facebook page.
She asked ratepayers to be patient as it could be almost two weeks because she could assume the role of councillor.
Ms Fowler received 18,494 votes (73.36 per cent) beating rival Ben Findlay with 6716 votes (26.6 per cent).
Long-serving Nerang councillor Peter Young had a huge win in Division 5 with 14,978 votes (61.80 per cent).
His rivals Martin Vincent received 5004 votes (20.65 per cent), Katherine Brooke had 3702 votes (15.28 per cent) and Craig Bastin recorded 551 votes (2.27 per cent).
In Surfers Paradise, incumbent councillor Darren Taylor was returned with 14,177 votes (60.50 per cent), defeating, Mona Hecke on 9257 votes (39.50 per cent) in Division 10.
In Mudgeeraba, Councillor Glenn Tozer was re-elected for a fourth term in Division 9 with 16,408 votes (69.11 per cent).
His opponent, Sarah Denny, receiving 7335 votes (30.89 per cent).
While other seats are yet to be declared, there are only two results which remain in doubt.
Joe Wilkinson has a slight lead in Arundel’s Division 7, held by incumbent councillor Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden who has been suspended since August 2023.
In the city’s south, incumbent councillor Gail O’Neill remains ahead of Kath Down in Division 14.
‘Some irregularities’: Narrow leads in ‘knife-edge’ council races
Southern-based councillor Gail O’Neill is moving ahead of rival Kath Down in the knife-edge vote for Division 14, as concerns are raised about vote counting and scrutineering.
On the official count on Tuesday, Ms O’Neill was 377 votes ahead of Ms Down. The unofficial count, which provides the latest guide, has her lead at 411.
This is the strongest winning margin held by the councillor since counting began in the March 16 local government poll.
Earlier in the count Ms Down, the anti-light rail campaigner, had been slightly ahead pointing to an upset win.
Ms O’Neill’s supporters now strongly believe she has secured the Division but Ms Down remains confident about her chances of winning.
The Bulletin can reveal the count is intense with Ms Down’s supporters complaining about Deputy Mayor Donna Gates late last week scrutineering for Ms O’Neill.
Ms Down complained to the Returning Officer only to be advised it was okay for Councillor Gates to support her colleague.
“Donna didn’t want to leave. It took three attempts (of asking). In the end she did the right thing,” Ms Down said.
She said she had organised for a recount from the Currumbin Waters booth where she suspected her vote was stronger.
“There’s been some irregularities. Somehow a hundred of my votes were put in another candidate’s pile,” Ms Down said.
She said the count would resume on Thursday when preferences were to be checked.
“It will be a very close call. I think the community wants an answer. They need to be patient. I’m glad with the break, to be honest,” she said.
In the City’s other close contest, in Division 7 where suspended councillor Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden sought to be re-elected, the lead has changed.
Candidate Joe Wilkinson is again leading the poll after rival Jenna Schroeder on the weekend briefly nudged ahead of him.
Mr Wilkinson is ahead by 605 votes on the official count, and 584 on the more recent unofficial count. Mr Bayldon-Lumsden remains in third position.
Mr Wilkinson said he understood postal votes had until 5pm on Tuesday to be counted.
He declined to speculate on the outcome until preferences were counted.
“Until we know for certain, it’s far too tight to call,” he said.
If Mr Wilkinson maintains his lead, he will join at least three other new councillors in the new administration.
Naomi Fowler is destined to replace William Owen-Jones who did not recontest Division 2 which covers Helensvale, Oxenford and Hope Island.
Dan Doran will be the new councillor in Division 11, which covers Robina and Varsity Lakes. Hermann Vorster did not recontest his Division after being preselected for the LNP in the State seat of Burleigh.
Josh Martin is the new councillor in Division 13, which includes Palm Beach-Burleigh. Veteran councillor Daphne McDonald retired just before nominations for the poll.
MONDAY: ‘Down to the wire’: Surprise candidate takes lead in tight count
Candidate Jenna Schroeder has unexpectedly taken the lead in the race for Gold Coast council’s Division 7 as final vote counting looms.
Ms Schroeder now leads in the northern Gold Coast seat, more than a week after the election, with the results still too close to call.
On the official first preference count, Ms Schroeder has 3196 votes, or 23.95 per cent, followed closely by Joe Wilkinson on 3085, or 23.12 per cent.
Incumbent councillor Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden, who has been suspended from office since August 2023 after being charged with the murder of his stepfather, trails in third place on 20.59 per cent.
It’s a different picture from the unofficial preliminary count where Mr Wilkinson holds a commanding lead of 5710 votes, or 24.43 per cent.
In that count, Ms Schroeder holds a slight lead of 42 votes over Mr Bayldon-Lumsden.
Ms Schroeder said the result was too close to call but said she would still “feel like a winner”, even if Mr Wilkinson ultimately triumphed.
“It feels like it’s been 10 years since the election but it’s still so close but no matter what the outcome is, I already feel like a winner because it’s been a great experience fighting this poll so it feels like I have won.
“I’m nervously awaiting the outcome but I’ll be just happy to have the community represented again on council if Joe wins.”
The final count, including postal votes is expected to occur as early as Wednesday.
This count is unable to occur until then because 10 days are given between election day for any late postal votes to come in.
Mr Wilkinson said he and the community at large were all waiting keenly on the result.
“The bulk of the votes have now come in but we’re just waiting on the last ones the trickle through, so right now we are still in this waiting space,” he said.
“It’s too close to call and I am not someone who puts the cart before the horse, so it will be important to see how the preferences flow but it is certain that it will be tight.”
Mr Bayldon-Lumsden was suspended by the state government after being charged with the murder of his stepfather Robert Lumsden, 58, at their Arundel home on August 23 last year.
His legal team has entered a not guilty plea to the murder charge.
Meanwhile, the city’s other undecided seat – Coolangatta’s Division 14 – will go down to the wire.
Incumbent councillor Gail O’Neill is leading on the official first preference count by 249 votes over challenger Kath Down.
Ms O’Neill, who was first elected in 2016, holds a 373 vote lead on the unofficial preliminary count.
The new council is expected to be sworn into office by mid-April.
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