State election 2020: Mermaid Beach early voting centre closes due to rainwater damage

A Gold Coast early voting centre has been forced to close after storms swept across the city over the weekend. SEE LATEST WEATHER UPDATES + WHERE TO VOTE

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THE Mermaid Beach Early Voting Centre has been forced to close after storms swept across the Gold Coast over the weekend.

The Electoral Commission of Queensland has announced the prepoll booth will not open for the rest of the campaign after rainwater flooded the venue.

A statement sent to candidates by ECQ said it was “actively looking for an alternative Early Voting Centre in Mermaid Beach”.

The electorate’s other booth is at Suite A, Lot A, 191 Varsity Parade in Varsity Lakes.

11-year-old Eva Pomery from Broadbeach bracing for stormy weather on the Gold Coast. Photograph: Jason O’Brien.

The closure comes despite the fact the Gold Coast missed the worst of violent thunderstorms which lashing the southeast. However the city could yet be in the firing line this week.

Today will likely be a “fair bit quieter” as dry air moves through, according to the weather bureau, but there is a greater risk of more storms tomorrow.

Bureau of Meteorology’s Michael Gray said: “There’s still some chance of some showers and storms mainly in coastal areas. By the time we get to Tuesday we will see an increased risk again of thunderstorms which may be a bit stronger than what we are likely to see (Monday).

“It’s possible we will see some (thunderstorms) that do require warnings to be issued, the case there being heavy rainfall, damaging winds, and large hail. We are coming into that time of year where they are some of the key impacts we can see from storms in our part of the world.

“So that will be something that people do need to watch out for on Tuesday as well.”

Rain is forecast on the Gold Coast until Wednesday.

“By the time we get to the second half of the week the risk starts to drop a little bit, we’re seeing a bit more of dry air coming in,” Mr Gray said.

“There will be a little bit of instability around but things will dry out a little bit, so by the time we get to Thursday it’s really just right along the coastal parts of the southeast.”

GOLD COAST EARLY VOTING CENTRES

The ECQ advises that during the early polling period, booths will be open:

Monday, Wednesday, Friday - 9am to 6pm.

Tuesday and Thursday - 9am to 9pm.

BONNEY

• Returning Officer Bonney – Shop 2, 118 Brisbane Road, Labrador

BROADWATER

• Runaway Bay Early Voting Centre – Runaway Bay Community Centre, Lae Drive, Runaway Bay

• Returning Officer Broadwater – Unit 3, 24 Technology Drive, Arundel

BURLEIGH

• Burleigh Heads Early Voting Centre – Fradgley Hall Community Centre, Park Avenue, Burleigh Heads

• Returning Officer Burleigh – 6/53 Township Drive, Burleigh Heads

COOMERA

• Ormeau Early Voting Centre – Ormeau Community Centre, 3 Cuthbert Drive, (corner Pascoe Road), Ormeau

• Returning Officer Coomera – Unit 1/1 Waterway Drive, Coomera

CURRUMBIN

• Tugun Early Voting Centre – Tugun Village Community Centre, 414 Coolangatta Road, Tugun

• Returning Officer Currumbin – 6/53 Township Drive, Burleigh Heads

GAVEN

• Returning Officer Gaven – 61 Price Street, Nerang

MERMAID BEACH

• Varsity Lakes Office, Suite A, Lot A, 191 Varsity Parade Varsity Lakes

MUDGEERABA

• Returning Officer Mudgeeraba – Shops 1, 7 & 8, 1 Jura Parade, Merrimac

• 86 Robina Town Centre Dr, Robina

SOUTHPORT

• Returning Officer Southport – Unit 6/51 Johnston Street, Southport

SURFERS PARADISE

• Surfers Paradise Early Voting Centre – 2/3298 Surfers Paradise Boulevard, Surfers Paradise

• Returning Officer Surfers Paradise – Shop 1, 25-27 Upton Road, Bundall

THEODORE

• Returning Officer Theodore – 4/54 Siganto Drive, Helensvale

• Oxenford Early Voting Centre – Unit 4/131 Old Pacific Highway, Oxenford

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