Gold Coast City Council election 2024: Full guide of the 46 mayoral and divisional candidates
The 2024 Gold Coast City Council elections are just one week away, with a smaller than usual field of 46 people fighting for the 15 seats, including the mayoralty. FIND OUT ALL ABOUT THEM
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The 2024 Gold Coast City Council elections are just one week away, with a smaller than usual field of 46 people fighting for the 15 seats, including the mayoralty.
Read below for a full guide of every candidate who has nominated for the March 16 election.
Mayoral candidates
Cr Tom Tate: Mayor of the Gold Coast since 2012. If re-elected, it will be a record fourth term. Advocating to keep rates below CPI, value for money services, and reducing council debt.
Danielle Dunsmore: Former Gold Coast Sun journalist, organisational change manager. Focused on getting back to basics, and traffic and transport along with environmental initiatives.
Rosie Foster: Registered nurse, experienced in helping mental health patients. Campaigning on preserving heritage listed sites, expanding buses and heavy rail rather than light rail along with preserving beaches and public spaces.
Virginia Freebody: Running as independent but LNP aligned. Owns and operates Burleigh Heads Drycleanders and Laundry. Wants to reduce council debt, improve roads in the hinterland and increase recycling.
Gary Pead: Property valuer. Campaigning on housing affordability and getting solutions for young families. Focused on “waste to energy” and sustainability solutions.
Lavinia Rampino: Director of film and events company, former Gold Coast Show CEO. Wants 25-year plus road vision for city, a plan to accommodate population growth and more transparency about city “vision”.
Eddy Sarroff: Real estate agency owner, former Deputy Mayor and long serving councillor. Promises to put “people before politics” with open office door, rejects population growth targets, will identify reduced cost-of-living measures.
Brett Lambert: A businessman who is third-time candidate. Claims the city is “choking in debt” and “looking worse than the Gaza Strip” and accuses mayor of “trying to turn our Gold Coast into 15-minute cities”.
Jennifer Horsburgh: Lived on the Coast since 1982, taught at a local high school for 30 years, volunteer at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. With Animal Justice Party, advocates for wildlife.
Division 1 — Alberton, Jacobs Well, Norwell, Ormeau and Pimpama.
Cr Mark Hammel: City’s planning committee chair, first-term councillor. Wants to deliver improved road and intersection infrastructure, better facilities like the Ormeau Community Centre and 15 park and playground improvements.
Lisa Findlay: From Pimpama, with the Animal Justice Party. Putting community, animals and the environment first, wants better CCTV to stop youth crime and less inappropriate developments leading to land clearing.
Division 2 — Helensvale, Hope Island, Oxenford and Sanctuary Cove.
Naomi Fowler: Managing director, ran media-communications company. Promises local road and footpath review, audit of 65 parks, better CCTV and opposes Oxenford quarry expansion.
Ben Findlay: School chaplain. Wants footpath all along Hope Island Road, upgrades of outdated park equipment, dedicated youth programs and establish regular community events.
Division 3 — Coomera, Upper Coomera and Wongawallan.
Cr Donna Gates: Deputy Mayor since 2012. Record of delivering strong infrastructure like Pimpama Sports Hub. For more than a decade lobbied for improved transport infrastructure, is seeking new overpass on M1.
Michael Banham: Regional business manager and vice-president Coomera State School P & C. Wants to revive free community events, pushing for spending based on needs given north’s growth and expanding public transport.
Tamzin Revell: Regenerative farmer and former horse riding centre operator. Reduce development upstream impacting on creeks, support small business, and lobby for central emergency service for fire and ambulance.
Division 4 — Biggera Waters, Coombabah, Runaway Bay and Paradise Point.
Cr Shelley Curtis: Elected by councillors as sitting councillor following departure of Cameron Caldwell for federal politics. Aims to improve “sense of community’ stop youth crime and anti-social behaviour, retain open space given population pressure and preserve green space like Coombabah wetlands. Re-elected unopposed.
Division 5 — Gaven, Highland Park, Nerang and Pacific Pines.
Peter Young: Sitting councillor first elected 2000, known as the city’s green representative. Wants a new community hub at the Nerang Bicentennial Centre and Administration Centre, build missing link road at Gilston in Nerang, foster more community events.
Martin Vincent: Self-employed. Aims to support families, network with new and existing organisations, intends to provide a safe and well-equipped environment for the community and promises to connect with businesses.
Katherine Brooke: First aid and white card trainer. Will educate residents on how to better contact and work with their councillor, wants council offices to no longer accept cash and will encourage people to “love thy neighbour”.
Craig Bastin: Food truck owner. No website, Facebook page or response to Community Alliance survey.
Division 6 — Ashmore, Benowa, Bundall and Southport.
Brooke Patterson: First-term councillor representing the CBD. Promises to keep rates “under control” while delivering the services which residents need, will make sure sporting organisations are supported and continue “ten-year project” to transform the CBD.
David Woodley: Film trainer and actor. Believes local footpaths are unsafe and need to be upgraded, supports a commercial marina south of Mitchell Park to help boost the “inactive” shopping precinct and will stop inappropriate housing approvals developing “smart and sensible” housing reforms.
Samantha Delmege: Registered nurse and president of the Gold Coast Multiple Birth Association. Will rectify potholes on footpaths, finish Cotlew Street roadworks, have more CCTV in hot spot crime areas and reintroduce kerbside clean-up once a year.
Division 7 — Arundel, Labrador, Molendinar and Parkwood.
Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden: Suspended first term city councillor who is charged with the murder of his stepfather Robert Lumsden. His lawyers say he intends to plead not guilty. Committed to maintaining the “liveability” of suburbs, the delivery of the Napper Road wildlife bridge and more fun community events like school holiday fun days
Joe Wilkinson: Arundel local on leave as electorate worker. Will fight to protect the Broadwater, advocate against overdevelopment, preserve Coombabah wetlands, upgrade Labrador foreshore, get better hoon prevention on roads.
Jenna Schroeder: Works in communication, suicide prevention and animal welfare. Wants a liveable and inclusive community, will preserve and enhance green space and fix pathways improving active travel for all.
Edward Sarroff: Arts based educator and real estate sales manager. Promises to bring back Local Area Plans, conduct a full review of walkways, roads and trouble intersections and will roll out mobile and permanent CCTV cameras.
Joel McInnes: Gold Coast Basketball Association general manager. Focused on a safer community with more street lighting and CCTV, has a range of community initiatives including free annual visitor parking permits and wants to widen six-knot speed limit in Broadwater.
Bruce Byatt: Former Deputy chief fire officer, now retired. Has a safety first and zero tolerance policy ensuring community is safe, improved community infrastructure like larger men’s shed needed and conduct a review to improve stakeholder engagement on planning issues.
Division 8 — Ashmore, Carrara, Merrimac and parts of Nerang.
Bob La Castra: First elected in 1997, singer, actor and script writer. Has been former board member of Destination Gold Coast, chairs economy, tourism and events committee. Worked to save Black Swan Lake, opposed to light rail and strong advocate on improving sports fields around Carrara.
Monique Jeremiah: Director of Diversity Models, was in Farmer Wants a Wife. Top concern is improving safety in Benowa Waters, will run more social and culture events and wants a review of all parks, libraries and beach entry points to be more disability friendly.
Division 9 — Advancetown, Lower Beechmont, Mudgeeraba and Numinbah.
Glenn Tozer: Was first elected as councillor in 2012. Will complete master planning and get full funding for Firth Park Sport precinct, same for the Mudgeeraba Aquatic Centre upgrade and deliver an eco-tourism plan for the hinterland attracting mountain biking and adventure tourism.
Sarah Denny: Bushcare advocate. Has been advocating environmental upgrades to the division, and improving park and playground facilities.
Division 10 — Broadbeach, Main Beach, Surfers Paradise and The Spit.
Cr Darren Taylor: First term councillor. Supports reduced building heights, backs trams but wants improved east-west connections and committed to revitalisation plan for Surfers Paradise.
Mona Hecke: Naturopath, nutritionist and author. Aims to put locals first, wants thriving businesses and green spaces, particularly at Isle of Capri and Chevron Island. Supports missing link in Oceanway and extend ferry service top of Spit.
Division 11 — Burleigh Waters, Robina and Varsity Lakes.
Dan Doran: Associate director at CBRE. Biggest issue is keeping the community safe with more CCTV and lighting, followed by fixing roads and easing traffic congestion. Wants to build on work Cr Hermann Vorster in improving parks.
Nic Rone: Helloworld Travel business owner. Cost of living a priority, focusing on saving ratepayers some money. Has extensive plan for reducing traffic, wants more event spaces and better internet connectivity.
Division 12 — Mermaid Beach, Mermaid Waters, Miami and Nobby Beach.
Nick Marshall: Physiotherapist. Wants proper assessment to see construction of oceanway, supports boutique stadium but does not want more green spaces like Albert Waterways Park lost. Backs Pizzey Park master plan.
Cathy Osborne: Small business manager. Push for arterial roads to be upgraded due to parked cars congesting suburban streets, wants better crime prevention through “environmental design” and funding for Lake Hugh Muntz.
Luke Henderson: Real estate owner. Aims to create a better flow for traffic, pedestrians and cyclists, push for additional CCTV to reduce crime and ensure Division gets share of infrastructure projects including Miami community hub.
Division 13 — Burleigh Heads, Elanora, Plam Beach, Tallebudgera and Tallebudgera Valley.
Josh Martin: Council co-ordinator Controlled Entities (on leave). Develop new City Plan to balance growth while maintaining suburb’s character, calls for detailed Stage Four alternate tram route, more City tree planting and bikeways.
Nicolle Archer: Tax agent, cultural/arts professional. Review City Plan and put handbrake on performance-based planning, demand pause to reassess light rail Stage Four and wants better compliance and governance by council.
Division 14 — Bilinga, Coolangatta, Currumbin, Elanora, Kirra and Rainbow Bay.
Cr Gail O’Neill: Councillor since 2016. Continue to be strong voice protecting beaches, waterways, hinterland and parkland. Supports heavy rail and trams, more events and will ensure City Plan develops with extensive public consultation.
Kath Down: Manager family business and Save Our Southern Gold Coast founder. Will hold regular town hall meetings, champion heavy rather than light rail and will seek data to be made public on polluted waterways.
Benjamin Theakstone: Information technology worker and Animal Justice Party candidate. Believes breeding and sale of animals is poorly regulated and pounds in crisis. Council with permits can play role with regulating breeders.
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