LIVE UPDATES as the votes are counted across Townsville, Charters Towers, Mount Isa, Burdekin, Hinchinbrook, Flinders, McKinlay, Richmond, Palm Island
Mayoral candidates remain quiet the day before the postal vote closes. LATEST
Townsville
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Townsville mayoral candidates remain silent while the Electoral Commission of Queensland is yet to formalise the result of the local government election.
Few councils in North Queensland have been formally declared and the ECQ is waiting for postal votes to be closed on Tuesday.
Even Cloncurry’s results have yet to be formally declared, yet incumbent mayor Greg Campbell leads with an almost 70 per cent margin against Jen Sackley.
Townsville’s mayoral contest is closer, with Troy Thompson leading with 46.77% of the official first preferences, followed by Jenny Hill with 43.54%.
An ECQ spokeswoman said after the postal vote is closed it would then be considering a full preference count.
“When considering if a declaration of an elected candidate can be made, the ECQ must be certain that the number of ballot papers outstanding...and the preferences marked by electors cannot change the outcome,” the spokeswoman said.
Townsville
10:30AM, FRIDAY:
The margin between incumbent mayor Jenny Hill and her challenger Troy Thompson narrowed marginally, but it is not enough to change the likely outcome. Townsville eagerly waits to learn who their mayor will be, but neither mayoral option has updated their position. Mr Thompson leads by 2838 votes in the unofficial preliminary count with 43.76% of the vote, while in the previous day the margin had been 3315 votes. Third mayoral option Mr Patel is far back at 9.8%. Preferences were optional for mayoral elections and unlikely to play a factor.
Mr Thompson reflected the day after the election that mayoral candidates emphasised a ‘vote 1’ policy in their election campaigns without suggesting alternative options, and voters may not have known to do so.
8:55AM, FRIDAY: Total formal votes counted: 106,259
Percentage of enrolled electors counted: 77.75%
HILL, Jenny: 46,503 (43.76%)
THOMPSON, Troy: 49,341 (46.43%)
PATEL, Harry: 10,415 (9.8)%
12.30PM THURSDAY: Leading mayoral candidate Troy Thompson remains 3315 votes ahead of Jenny Hill, but he still takes a “comfortable but not over-confident approach” that he has had since election night.
On social media Mr Thompson recognised the election experience that Ms Hill had.
“On the 26th of March it will be official, however we are hopeful for a result in the coming days.
“There will be no declaration from me untli we are certain of the result.”
As of 12.34PM:
Total formal votes counted: 102,738
Percentage of enrolled electors counted: 75.23%
HILL, Jenny: 44,776 votes (43.58%)
THOMPSON, Troy: 47,911 (46.63%)
PATEL, Harry: 10,051 (9.78%
8PM MONDAY: The leading candidates for Townsville’s mayoralty are still refusing to concede defeat or declare victory as the Electoral Commission of Queensland warns that vote-counting could continue for at least another week.
An Electoral Commission of Queensland spokeswoman said in local government areas where preferential counting was the method, “a full preference count will be undertaken once all ballot papers are on hand after 26 March, which is the last day for receipt of outstanding postal ballots”.
“The ECQ will declare the outcome of each election as soon as there is absolute certainty of the outcome,” she said.
Neither Ms Hill nor her incumbent team candidates released a statement by deadline, but mayoral candidate Troy Thompson held a press conference in which he said “I’ll certainly shake the tree” if elected.
As of 7.38pm, nearly 75% of the votes had been counted, with 46.73% of the votes going to Mr Thompson, 43.47% to Ms Hill and 9.8% to Harry Patel.
4:05PM: Townsville leading mayoral candidate Troy Thompson said “it’s a little premature” to call the election and will wait for voting tallies to update before making a call.
However he believes that he could win a “very narrow victory” but said he did not want to rely on preferences to achieve it.
According to the official tally on the Electoral Commission of Queensland website on Sunday afternoon Mr Thompson, on first preferences, was narrowly ahead by about 500 votes.
The result could depend on the demographics of the remaining polling booths, and on the preferences set by third candidate Harry Patel’s voters, who make up about 10 per cent.
Although Mr Thompson was uncertain that many voters would use a preferential system on their ballot, he believed that his and Mr Patel’s supporters were like-minded when it came to the need for change.
Incumbent mayor Jenny Hill so far has done well at the University, Annandale and Annandale East polling booths, but poorly in Woodstock and Kirwan East.
Ms Hill has not yet released a statement confirming her team’s results.
At this stage, it does seem likely that if Mr Thompson won he would be leading a council with at least half the seats represented by Team Jenny Hill candidates.
Mr Thompson said he wanted to work with a chamber of individuals, rather than political aligned councillors.
Mayoral candidate Troy Thompson is “comfortable but not over confident†in being the new mayor of Townsville, believing people are calling for a change in the city’s leadership. “I’m the other guy.†pic.twitter.com/YhlBEYVRos
— Christopher Burns (@bews_hound) March 16, 2024
He hoped that without Jenny Hill leading these endorsed candidates they would lose that team mentality when the new term began.
Mr Thompson said the closeness of the preliminary count and considering several incumbent councillors are fighting to keep their seats demonstrated a need for change within the community.
“Why am I in it?
“Because people are saying I’ve had enough of the current system.
“Jenny will get the five seats as a minimum but I think she’s going to stretch it to get it much more in the chamber.
“If she gets six or seven, what it will do is send a message to those councillors that it was that close.”
1PM: While it is a close call as to who will be running for mayor, Troy Thompson is still leading in the preliminary count against Jenny Hill for the mayorship of Townsville.
There have been a few shocks at the polls, including the closeness of the count between the two leading mayoral candidates.
Besides the mayoral result, the question is on how much influence Team Jenny Hill’s endorsed candidates will have in the chamber regardless of who leads the Townsville City Council.
Team Jenny Hill have at least five of the 10 divisions but could tip the scale if Russ Cook is able to maintain his narrow lead of 16 votes in Division 5.
Division 4’s deputy mayor Mark Molachino could risk losing his seat against independent Kristian Price, but could still possibly form the sixth or seventh vote in the chamber for Jenny Hill.
Division 1 incumbent Margie Ryder has accepted defeat against Team Change leader candidate Paul Jacob, who said he would be ideal as the deputy mayor but that it came down to the voting power within the chamber.
Two independents, Brodie Phillips, Division 2, and Brady Ellis, 10, will also have a voice in the Townsville City Council chamber.
Burdekin
12PM Thursday: The Electoral Commission of Queensland has declared Pierina Dalle Cort the mayor of Burdekin, with 52.77% of the votes ahead of former mayor Lyn McLaughlin on 47.23%.
Ms Dalle Cort thanked the voters as she announced her appointment as mayor.
“I will hold this position with the utmost respect and strive to achieve the best for our beautiful Burdekin,” she said.
Outgoing mayor Ms McLaughlin shared a statement this morning, saying she “is preparing to walk the halls of Burdekin Shire Council for the final time”.
She said after 22 years in local government as councillor and mayor, she was excited to pursue new opportunities and passions.
“I want to recognise and thank all elected representatives I have been fortunate to work with over this time, including John Woods who served as Mayor from 1994-2000 while I was councillor,” she said.
“I can still remember discussions all that time ago about the vision of one day expanding the Ayr Industrial Estate – and I am incredibly proud that our Shire has built on existing industries and attracted new ones to a point where that expansion is becoming a reality, with ground breaking last year.”
Ms McLaughlin said she had always been fortunate to work with a team as passionate about the Burdekin as she was.
“It is with much sadness that I walk the halls of Burdekin Shire Council for the final time: I’ve been incredibly lucky to work with a dedicated and enthusiastic team of both indoor and outdoor staff over the past three decades.
“From supporting our shire’s response to Covid-19, being on the front line of natural disaster preparation and response to bearing the brunt of any unpopular council decisions, staff and councillors never failed to be professional and always work hard in the most challenging of circumstances.
“I wish the incoming Council and new mayor success in supporting our community and continuing to progress the Burdekin Shire.
As for what’s next, Ms McLaughlin said she was looking forward to more time with family and friends and supporting local organisations, including Burdekin Netball Association and Lower Burdekin Landcare.
“Our son will return home from working for the Australian Antarctica Division at Macquarie Island this May, so my husband Matt and I are looking forward to spending time with him,” she said.
“I’ve always enjoyed my time outdoors, whether it’s on the sidelines of the netball court or in the garden, and I am looking forward to having more time pursuing these passions and volunteering where I can.
“As I start a new chapter in my life, I want to thank all Burdekin residents for their faith in me: serving you over the past three decades has been the greatest honour, and I will never forget it. Thank you.”
11:30AM Monday:
Ayr tourist agent Pierina Dalle Cort has claimed victory over Lyn McLaughlin to become the new mayor of Burdekin Shire.
Ms McLaughlin called to congratulate her on election night when 85 per cent of the votes had been counted.
Ms Dalle Cort led the preliminary count with 53 per cent of the vote.
“It seems likely that I’m going to be there,” Ms Dalle Cort said.
“I’m excited and looking forward to it and working with a great bunch of people who have put their hand up.
“Whoever comes in I’ll look forward to working with them all, that’s for sure.”
Ms Dalle Cort was defeated in the 2020 local government election with a convincing margin, but she said at the start of this campaign that the COVID-19 pandemic impacted her ability to reach out to people.
Ms Dalle Cort said that she represented change in this election which struck a chord with voters, but she said another issue for the shire was communication from the council.
“There seemed to be a lack of it and getting back to people,” she said.
“We’re a little rural community and people … want to speak mayors and councillors about their problems and legislation has changed a little bit that makes it harder for people to reach out to their councillors.
“They’re deterred in different matters.
“But I think people need to know what’s going on.”
“We’re an elderly community and not all these elderly people are tech savvy and they’re not on Facebook so we need to reach those people too.”
Lyn McLaughlin was contacted for comment.
10:00AM
In the Hinchinbrook Shire, Mayor Ramon Jayo has returned unopposed for a second time and secured a third four-year term.
The popular canefarming politician has made it his mission to diversify the Hinchinbrook economy away from a sole reliance on agriculture, working hard behind the scenes to increase the liveability of the district, including boosting visitation and tourism.
High on the mayor’s agenda to diversify the economy has been an ongoing mission to create all-tidal access to and from the Enterprise Channel linking Hinchinbrook Island and the outer reef.
With 71.96 per cent of the vote counted in Hinchinbrook, he is likely to have a council that will not rock the boat in terms of achieving his vision.
Donna Marbelli has been rewarded for her hard work heading up the Community Development Advisory Portfolio and been voted back for a second term.
With 4626 votes and 12.88 per cent of the tally, Mrs Marbelli will also be favoured to become the next deputy mayor, a position left vacant by Andrew Cripps, who has retired to reactivate his consulting business.
A vote on who becomes the next deputy mayor will be taken at the first sitting of the new council.
Real estate agency owner and first-time candidate Mark Spina is currently sitting in third position with 4112 votes (11.45 per cent), a very good result that is just eclipsing former deputy mayor Mary Brown with 3744 votes (10.43 per cent).
Farmer Kate Milton, sitting on 3705 votes (10.32 per cent), is also looking likely to be returned, ahead of two new candidates set to replace retiring councillors, the long-serving and deeply popular Andrew Lancini and Wally Skinner.
The pairing of former long-term councillor Patrick Lynch on 3696 votes (10.29 per cent) and Andrew Carr on 3504 votes (9.76 per cent) are currently in line to be those replacements.
The remaining list of candidates are all first-timers who can be proud of their respective achievements in what has been a low-profile campaign period in the lead-up to the local government elections 2024.
Jesslyn Exelby is looking like she will just miss out on 3098 votes (8.63 per cent), Brendon Andersen (2849 votes, 7.94 per cent), Ann Verdanega, 2804 votes (7.81 per cent), Aaron Christopher, 2020 votes (5.63 per cent), and Rachel Coco, 1746 votes (4.86 per cent).
8.15PM: mayor Jenny Hill looks to be fighting for her job as she trails behind former One Nation candidate Troy Thompson, who is leading by about 1500 votes on election night.
Mr Thompson said voters were looking for change in the council’s direction and would be voting against Ms Hill rather than voting for him.
At 10pm on election night he was not ready to declare victory, noticing the results had not been updated by the ECQ for several hours.
But almost 34,000 votes had been counted and had put him on 47 per cent of the count.
“I didn’t go in it to lose,” he said.
Mr Thompson was looking at the electoral results of the other 10 divisions with interest, and was hoping to see newcomers enter the chamber with their own ideas he could work with because they would be “more coachable”.
“When they’re in Team Jenny Hill I think they’ve learned a lot of bad habits and that’s why the votes going against them at the moment,” he said.
He did not want to see more than five Team Jenny Hill candidates in the chamber.
Division 6 councillors Suzy Batkovic and Division 7 incumbent Kurt Rehbein are uncontested.
Division 3 candidate Ann-Maree Greaney has a respectable lead, while Division 9 incumbent Liam Mooney and candidate Rachael Armstrong are leading in the count.
It was a close contest with Jenny Hill incumbents Mark Molachino in Division 4 and Russ Cook in Division 5.
Mr Thompson hoped that if elected he could appoint Division 1 candidate and Team Change member Paul Jacob to be deputy mayor, who looked like he would replace Team Hill incumbent Margie Ryder.
Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto had campaigned for Team Jenny Hill candidate and Katters Australian member Ben Fusco, who was running for a seat left unfilled by a mayoral candidate who withdrew for health reasons.
But he was likely to lose against independent Brady Ellis.
Mr Dametto said crime was the most urgent issue for Townsville residents, and although most issues could be solved through state legislation, candidates would appeal to their voters if they demonstrated an active approach to the issue.
5.40PM: The polling booths are closed, and the count begins as the 2024 mayoral and council election nears the finish line.
Find your council below to see the results.
Electoral Commissioner Pat Vidgen has thanked Queenslanders for having their say about who they want to represent them in their local communities.
The ECQ recorded high numbers of early voting across the state with more than 1.4 million people choosing to vote before election day.
“These results demonstrate that Queenslanders understand their obligations and rights when it comes to participating in our democracy,” Mr Vidgen said.
With a total of 5.1 million people living in Queensland, staff are going to be busy for several days counting up the votes. However, several mayoral contests are expected to be decided swiftly.
Townsville City Council
Mayor
8:55AM, FRIDAY: Total formal votes counted: 106,259
Percentage of enrolled electors counted: 77.75%
HILL, Jenny: 46,503 (43.76%)
THOMPSON, Troy: 49,341 (46.43%)
PATEL, Harry: 10,415 (9.8)%
11:00AM THURSDAY:
Troy Thompson: 46.84%
Jenny Hill: 43.45%
Harry Patel: 9.71%
Percentage counted: 71.76%
Leading mayoral candidate Troy Thompson remains 3315 votes ahead of Jenny Hill, but he still takes a “comfortable but not over-confident approach” that he has had since election night.
On social media Mr Thompson recognised the election experience that Ms Hill had.
“On the 26th of March it will be official, however we are hopeful for a result in the coming days.
“There will be no declaration from me untli we are certain of the result.”
4PM: First preferences are coming in which is showing the closeness of the election race.
Troy Thompson is narrowly ahead of incumbent mayor Jenny Hill by about 500 votes.
11.40AM: Troy Thompson is leading in the preliminary votes by 2297 votes.
Almost 100,000 votes have been counted, which is about 68 per cent.
Jenny Hill is close at 43.7 per cent of the counted vote.
At this point she is not expected to make any comment today.
8.15PM: 15,000 votes have been counted and it is showing that the mayoral race is more competitive than one would have first thought.
Troy Thompson has 47 per cent of the preliminary vote while Jenny Hill sits back at 42 per cent.
Harry Patel has 11 per cent.
Earlier today Mr Thompson said voters were more voting against the Team Jenny Hill dynamic than they were voting for him, as two months was not enough time for people to know him properly.
And Mr Patel believed there to be a swing towards independents.
It is early in the night but the count so far does seem to reflect that.
7.30PM: The first wave of the preliminary count are coming through, and it’s going to be a close result.
Incumbent mayor Jenny Hill and Troy Thompson continue to overtake each other, but at this moment, Mr Thompson is leading.
Harry Patel sits back at about 10 per cent of the vote.
More than 7000 votes have been counted.
Division 1
8:55AM, FRIDAY:
Total formal votes counted: 10,819
Percentage of enrolled electors counted: 70.26%
Paul Jacob: 5,743 (55.32%)
Margie Ryder: 4,639 (44.68%)
11:00AM, THURSDAY:
Paul Jacob: 56.05%
Margie Ryder: 43.95%
Percentage counted: 63.35%
12.10PM, SUNDAY: Team Change leader Paul Jacob has reluctantly called victory over Jenny Hill incumbent Margie Ryder.
Even though only 40 per cent of the votes had been counted, Ms Ryder conceded defeat on social media saying she had lost five of six of the voting booths in the division.
“Division 1 residents have spoken, they wanted Change,” Ms Ryder said.
“I have worked my guts out for eight years and I am going to hold my head high, turn the next page, put the big girl pants on and start again.
“Going fishing for a while.
“To my new life long friend mayor Jenny Hill you are one of the most amazing resilient humans I know.”
Mr Jacob has 55 per cent of the preliminary vote so far.
Mayoral candidate Troy Thompson is considering putting Mr Jacob in as his deputy if both of them were to succeed in their campaigns.
Mr Jacob said he would be good for the role but said the position was determined by the chamber and not by Mr Thompson if he was elected.
If Team Jenny Hill represented six or more of the councillors in the chamber they had the power to determine who held the position.
Division 2
9:20AM, FRIDAY:
Total formal votes counted: 10,469
Percentage of enrolled electors counted: 73.76%
Brodie Phillips: 6,290 (62.06%)
Shari Fabbro: 2,662 (26.26%)
Jai Philpots: 1,184 (11.68%)
11:10AM, THURSDAY:
Brodie Phillips: 63.28%
Shari Fabbro: 24.93%
Jai Philpots: 11.79%
Percentage counted: 66.25%
Mr Phillips confirmed on Monday that he called the election and considered his nine month campaign to be a success.
12.15PM, SUNDAY: Team Jenny Hill candidate Shari Fabbro conceded defeated against independent Brodie Phillips, who dominated the count with almost 62 per cent of the preliminary vote in a three-way race.
Mr Phillips was also endorsed by the outgoing independent councillor Sue Blom.
Ms Fabbro congratulated Mr Phillips on social media and said they had “some banter” and “great conversations”.
However she said the campaign had been difficult and that she had been “dehumanised” and been subject to hate messages.
“It hurts, and as someone who supports and advocates for people, there’s something to say about these people.
“It is a tox environment, particularly those who are politically motivated, which I am not.
“Social media can be cruel and empower those to be toxic.”
Division 3
9:20AM, FRIDAY:
Total formal votes counted: 10,058
Percentage of enrolled electors counted: 69.19%
Ann-Maree Greaney: 4594 (47.56%)
Alan Sheret: 2,620 (27.12%)
Jake Farrell: 2,445 (25.31%)
11:15AM, THURSDAY:
Ann-Maree Greaney: 47.32%
Alan Sheret: 27.26%
Jake Farrell: 25.42%
12.20PM, SUNDAY: Team Jenny Hill is in the lead.
Incumbent councillor Ann-Maree Greaney has a respectable lead at 47 per cent of the preliminary vote.
39 per cent of the preliminary votes have been counted.
Independent Alan Sheret has 28 per cent of the vote while Jake Farrell has almost 25 per cent.
Division 4
9:25AM, FRIDAY:
Total formal votes counted: 9,624
Percentage of enrolled electors counted: 67.48%
Kristian Price: 4,971 (53.85%)
Mark Molachino: 4,261 (46.15%)
11:15AM, THURSDAY:
Kristian Price: 54.67%
Mark Molachino: 45.33%
Percentage counted: 60.5%
Mr Molachino conceded defeat against Mr Price.
“Good luck to the new council, this is not an easy job,” Mr Molachino said.
Mr Price wished the outgoing deputy mayor “all the very best” but would not speak to media about the result.
12.30PM, SUNDAY: Independent Kristian Price is taking a small lead against incumbent deputy mayor Mark Molachino, although only 35 per cent of the preliminary vote has been counted.
Mr Price has almost 52 per cent of the preliminary vote, which means he is ahead by 170 votes.
He seems to have done particularly well at the Condon polling booth.
8.30PM: It’s a tight contest here.
Deputy mayor Mark Molachino is 30 votes behind Kristian Price as of 8.30pm, and they are both roughly 50 per cent of the vote.
Division 5
9:30AM, FRIDAY:
Total formal votes counted: 9,238
Percentage of enrolled electors counted: 66.88%
Vera Dirou: 4,542 (50.78%)
Mark Molachino: 4,403 (49.22%)
11:20AM, THURSDAY:
Vera Dirou: 51.42%
Russ Cook: 48.58%
Percentage counted: 59.92%
12.40PM:, SUNDAY Team Jenny Hill candidate Russ Cook is leading, but by 16 votes and by half a per cent of the count.
Change candidate Vera Dirou is just under 50 per cent of the preliminary count.
The polling booth breakdown shows she has been popular at Weir, while Mr Cook has the support at Kirwan South.
8.30PM: Incumbent Team Jenny Hill candidate Russ Cook is behind in the preliminary count by two per cent.
Team Change candidate Vera Dirou is leading at 51 per cent.
Division 6
Uncontested, Cr Suzy Batkovic retains the seat automatically.
Division 7
Uncontested, Cr Kurt Rehbein retains the seat automatically
Division 8
9:30AM, FRIDAY:
Total formal votes counted: 9,440
Percentage of enrolled electors counted: 68.56%
Rachael Armstrong: 3,763 (41.19%)
Andrew Robinson: 3,263 (35.72%)
Guy Reece: 2,110 (23.10%)
11:20AM, THURSDAY:
Rachael Armstrong: 40.58%
Andrew Robinson: 36.03%
Guy Reece: 23.39%
Percentage counted: 62.12%
1:05PM, SUNDAY: Team Jenny Hill candidate Rachael Armstrong has not made any announcement, but she has 41 per cent of the preliminary vote in a three-way race.
36.5 per cent of the vote goes to Andrew Robinson while 22 per cent goes to Guy Reece.
Almost 60 per cent of the vote has been counted.
8.30PM: This division is left vacant by outgoing councillor Maurie Soars, and his spot looks to be filled by Team Jenny Hill candidate Rachael Armstrong at 43 per cent.
However she is closely followed by Andrew Robinson at 38 per cent.
Guy Reece is further back with 18.5 per cent.
Division 9
9:35AM, FRIDAY
Total formal votes counted: 9,051
Percentage of enrolled electors counted: 66.88%
Liam Mooney: 3,282 (37.46%)
Erica Keam: 2,619 (29.89%)
Michael Edmonds: 1,555 (17.75%)
Benjamin Tiley: 1,305 (14.90%)
11:25AM, THURSDAY:
Liam Mooney: 37.09%
Erica Keam: 30.29%
Michael Edmonds: 18.15%
Benjamin Tiley: 14.47%
Percentage counted: 62.09%
1:10PM, SUNDAY: Team Jenny Hill incumbent Liam Mooney has 36 per cent of the vote against three other candidates so far, but there are unknown variables that could keep him guessing.
His biggest threat to his position is Erica Keam at 32 per cent.
However, only 35 per cent of the preliminary vote has been counted.
Mr Mooney has done well with the postal declaration vote.
8.30PM: Incumbent Jenny Hill candidate Liam Mooney leads at 36 per cent in a four-way race.
Erica Keam is at 33 per cent, while Michael Edmonds and Benjamin Tiley fall back at the same margin of 15 per cent
Division 10
9:40AM, FRIDAY
Total formal votes counted: 10,322
Percentage of enrolled electors counted: 75.50%
Brady Ellis: 4,463 (44.19%)
Ben Fusco: 4,113 (40.73%)
Kate Annetts: 1,523 (15.08%)
11:25AM, THURSDAY:
Brady Ellis: 45.29%
Ben Fusco: 40.22%
Kate Annetts: 14.50%
Percentage counted: 67.53%
1:15PM, SUNDAY: Independent Brady Ellis leads in a three-way race.
At Wulguru State School on election day he said he was maintaining a positive and cheerful energy for the voters.
Ben Fusco was about 250 votes behind.
Mr Fusco is in Team Jenny Hill but also endorsed by Katters Australian Party.
Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto had his back at the polling booth on election day.
8.30PM: Brady Ellis is so far dominating the count with more than 50 per cent of the vote.
Kate Annetts has 28 per cent of the preliminary count while Ben Fusco, the Team Jenny Hill candidate, sits at 20 per cent.
Almost 1500 votes have been counted.
Charters Towers Regional Council
Mayor
9:45AM, FRIDAY:
Charters Towers is a reminder that every vote matters!
In the official first preference count the incumbent mayor Frank Beveridge is leading by one vote.
Total formal votes counted: 6,432
Percentage of enrolled electors counted: 78.79%
Frank Beveridge: 2,593 (41.45%)
Liz Schmidt: 2,592 (41.43%)
Tony McDonald: 1,071 (17.12%)
11:30AM, THURSDAY:
Frank Beveridge: 41.60%
Liz Schmidt: 41.28%
Tony McDonald: 17.12%
Percentage counted: 78%
2:40PM, SUNDAY: Three-quarters of the preliminary has been counted and incumbent mayor Frank Beveridge is hanging on to his lead by 40 votes.
Former mayor Liz Schmidt did well in postal declaration votes, in Penland and Ravenswood, but Mr Beveridge did well in Charters Towers central and north.
Tony McDonald has 17 per cent of the vote, which could have an impact in the result through preferences.
10:30PM: Incumbent mayor Frank Beveridge is so far narrowly leading a three-way race as of 10.30pm, which means his position is not safe.
2350 preliminary votes have been counted.
He had 41 per cent of the vote which is a fraction more than former mayor Liz Schmidt.
Political outsider Tony McDonald has 18 per cent, which could be interesting in the preferences.
Councillors
Six candidates to be elected. These are the results following 70 per cent of the preliminary count:
4:45PM, SUNDAY:
Kate Hastie (9.73%)
Graham John Lohmann (9.69%)
Julie Mathews (9.68%)
Steven Plant (9.61%)
Alan Barr (7.41%)
Kim Farmer (7.15%)
Tony Philo (7.03%)
Karl Mckellar (6.2%)
Mervyn Bailey (5.5%)
Malcolm Macdonald (4.4%)
Jason Campbell (4.09%)
Diana Lynch (3.9%)
Liota Jeanette Peno (3.2%)
John Levitski (3.43%)
Cheryle Dempster (3.36%)
Clayton Young (2.6%)
Lyn Simatis (2.9%)
Burdekin Shire Council
Mayor
11:40AM, THURSDAY:
Pierina Dalle Cort has been declared.
Ms McLaughlin released a statement on Thursday morning.
“It is with much sadness that I walk the halls of Burdekin Shire Council for the final time.
“I’ve been incredibly lucky to work with a dedicated and enthusiastic team of both indoor and outdoor staff over the past three decades,” she said.
Pierina Calle Cort: 52.75%
Lynette McLaughlin: 47.25%
Percentage of enrolled voters counted: 87%
10AM, SUNDAY: 10,000 votes have been counted so far and travel agent Pierina Dalle Cort is leading against incumbent mayor Lynette McLaughlin.
Ms Dalle Cort has 53 per cent of preliminary vote so far while Lynette McLaughlin is at 47 per cent.
Councillors
11:45AM, THURSDAY:
Six councillors have been declared;
Amanda Hall (11.07%)
Michael Detenon (10.4%)
Max Musumeci (10.29%)
John Furnell (9.82%)
Delfine Vasta (9.15%)
Callan Oar (8.16%)
Palm Island Aboriginal Shire
Mayor
11:45AM, THURSDAY: Former mayor Alf Lacey leads by 16 votes but says it is too close to call.
Lex Wotton is not far behind but is confident he can catch up.
Alf Lacey: 42.11%
Lex Wotton: 39.86%
Obadiah Geia Snr: 18.03%
1:45PM, SUNDAY: Former mayor Alf Lacey leads in a three-way race with more than half the votes being counted.
Mr Lacey has 43 per cent of the preliminary vote.
Activist Lex Wotton is 26 votes behind.
56.38% of enrolled electors have been counted.
Councillors
Four councillors are to be elected. These are the results following 55 per cent of the preliminary count:
Telstan Sibley (14%)
Germaine Bulsey (13.24%)
Ebanese Oui (11.43%)
Mersane Oui (10.77%)
Andrea Kyle-Sailor (10.44%)
Rob Blackley (8.26%)
Deniece Geia (8.2%)
Florence Morton (7.74%)
Norman Brian Bounghi (6%)
Alfred Clay (5.85%)
Veronica Coutts (3.54%)
Hinchinbrook Shire Council
Mayor
Uncontested with Ramon Jayo retaining his mayorship.
Councillors
11:50AM, THURSDAY:
Six councillors have been declared. They are:
Patrick Lynch
Mark Spina
Donna Marbelli
Mary Brown
Andrew Carr
Kathrine Milton
3PM, SUNDAY: Six candidates to be elected. These are the results following 81 per cent of the preliminary count:
Donna Marbelli (12.9%)
Mark Spina (11.45%)
Mark Brown (10.32%)
Patrick Lynch (10.27%)
Kate Milton (10.17%)
Andrew Carr (9.64%)
Jesslyn Excelby (9%)
Ann Vardaneg (7.91%)
Brendon Andersen (7.94%)
Aaron Christopher (5.83%)
Rachael Coco (5%)
Flinders Shire Council
Mayor
11:55AM, THURSDAY: Kate Peddle is almost 40 votes in front of incumbent Jane McNamara. The process will take time.
Kate Peddle: 52.95%
Jane McNamara: 47.05%
Percentage of enrolled elctors counted: 51.08%
8:00AM, MONDAY: Leading candidate Kate Peddle has clarified that she is running as an independent, and is not endorsed to any party.
Ms Peddle had ties to Katters Australian Party members by previously serving as a political adviser, and Traeger MP Robbie Katter had shown support.
At the weekend Mr Katter posted a brief congratulatory message for Ms Peddle and called her efforts a “dignified campaign.”
It is a nailbiting count in the Flinders Shire.
Ms Peddle is leading by six votes against incumbent mayor Jane McNamara.
More than 70 per cent of the votes have been counted.
Councillors
Six candidates to be elected. 70 per cent of the votes have been counted.
These are the results so far:
Nicole Flute (12%)
Kelly Carter (10.3%)
Kerry Wells (9.35%)
Pete (Rat) Fornasier (8.5%)
Shane (Sheep) McCarthy (8%)
David Ernest Ogg (7.55%)
Greg Jones (7.55%)
Kim (Clancy Snr) Middleton (7.44%)
Maire Eathorne (6.58%)
Bill Bode (5.8%)
Tyler Krogh (5.7%)
Warren Wall (4.1%)
Richmond Shire Council
Mayor
Long-running mayor John Wharton remains in his role uncontested.
Councillors
5:40PM, SUNDAY: Five candidates are to be elected first-past-the-post, with 70 per cent of the 570 enrolled voters counted as of Sunday evening. These are the results so far:
Patsy-Ann Fox (17.3%)
Terry Flute (16.2%)
Sherreen Johnston (15.3%)
Judy Brown (12.6%)
Megan Easton (12%)
Nick Buick (11.4%)
Will Guy (8.5%)
Clay Kennedy (7%)
McKinlay Shire Council
Mayor
10:00AM, FRIDAY:
Total formal votes counted: 348
Percentage of enrolled electors counted: 68.10%
Janene Fegan: 243 (69.83%)
Nyssa Currin: 105 (30.17%)
12:10PM, Thursday:
Janene Fegan: 70.55%
Nyssa Currin: 29.45%
Percentage of enrolled voters counted: 67.12%
6PM, SUNDAY: The incumbent deputy mayor Janene Fegan has a huge margin with 68 per cent of the vote, and is likely to win.
However, only a third of the 511 enrolled votes have been counted.
Nyssa Currin is far back on 32.35 per cent.
Councillors
6PM, SUNDAY: Four candidates are to be elected in a first-past-the-post system.
As of Sunday evening only a third of the votes have been counted. These are the results so far:
Luke Spreadborough (20%)
Shauna Royes (17.6%)
Fiona Malone (14.8%)
John Lynch (14.2%)
Amanda Stevens (12%)
Sheree Pratt (11.7%)
Michele Zadow (9.5%)
Cloncurry Shire Council
Mayor
12:10PM, THURSDAY:
Greg Campbell: 68%
Jen Sackley: 32%
Percentage of enrolled voters counted: 56.65%
6PM, SUNDAY: Greg Campbell will keep his position as mayor and serve a third term, and has more than double the votes of Jen Sackley.
Mr Campbell has 68 per cent of the votes.
Almost 60 per cent of the votes were counted by Sunday evening.
The majority of votes were completed early, which heavily favoured Mr Campbell by 70 per cent.
Councillors
6:10PM, SUNDAY: Five candidates are to be elected. As of Sunday evening the results were:
Vicky Campbell (14.4%)
Nathan Keyes (13.8%)
Sam Daniels (12.6%)
Jane McMillan (9.8%)
George Muller (8.9%)
Larinda Turrell (8.6%)
Courtney Watson (8.15%)
Julie Arthur (7.72%)
Ron Major (6.25%)
Richard Nancarrow (5.9%)
Cliff McIntyre (3.9%)
Mount Isa City Council
Mayor
12:15PM, THURSDAY:
After speaking to the leading three mayoral candidates, the vibe is that Ms MacRae will will the election.
However, neither Ms Slade or Ms MacRae will confirm until postal votes close next Tuesday or until the ECQ confirms.
Optional preferences are unlikely to make a difference to the final outcome.
Peta MacRae: 33.93%
Danielle Slade: 29.74%
Phil Barwick: 21.34%
David Fletcher: 15%
Percentage of enrolled voters counted: 61.80%
6:25PM, SUNDAY: With 60 per cent of the vote counted, incumbent councillor and small business owner Peta Macrae is likely to become the next Mount Isa mayor, having 34 per cent of the vote in a four-way race.
Incumbent mayor Danielle Slade is about 300 votes behind, while incumbent deputy mayor Phil Barwick is 900 votes behind Ms Macrae.
David Fletcher, who considers himself the Steven Bradbury of Mount Isa politics, is relying on preferences.
He would need 1300 votes at this stage to overtake Ms Macrae.
Councillors
6:40PM, SUNDAY: Six candidates will be elected. As of Sunday night only a quarter of almost 12,000 enrolled electors were counted.
The results so far are:
Dan Ballard (5.9%)
Kim ‘Cogo’ Coghlan (5.8%)
John Tully (5.4%)
John Doyle (5.25%)
James Coghlan (5.1%)
Travis Crowther (4.6%)
Anne Pittis (4.4%)
Andrea Bowcock (4.2%)
Lisa Clancy (4.07%)
John Davis (3.98%)
Chris Boshoff (3.97%)
Stephen Cunningham (3.96%)
Merilyn Harding (3.82%)
Eryan Haddan (3.66%)
Bernard Gillic (3.54%)
Kieran Vonhoff (3.46%)
Sonja Wessels (3.4%)
Ian Collins (3.34%)
Emma Harman (3.24%)
Jason Brandon (3.18%)
William Blackley (3%)
Michelle Low Mow (2.97%)
Mischa Grummitt (2.8%)
Shirley Peters (2.7%)
Allan Duncan (2.37%)
Robyn Ferrier (1.8%)
More Coverage
Originally published as LIVE UPDATES as the votes are counted across Townsville, Charters Towers, Mount Isa, Burdekin, Hinchinbrook, Flinders, McKinlay, Richmond, Palm Island
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