Council election results: Deputy mayor Rebecca Vonhoff dominates as councillors declared

Toowoomba now knows the make-up of its next council after the results were declared by the Electoral Commission of Queensland. See the winning candidates here:

The make-up of the next Toowoomba Regional Council has been secured, with residents to be represented by eight incumbents and two new councillors for the next four years.

With more than 85 per cent of the vote counted and just postal ballots to be counted over the next few days, Toowoomba magnate Gary Gardner and real estate agent Trevor Manteufel have been confirmed as the region’s newest elected officials.

They will be joined by sitting councillors Rebecca Vonhoff, James O’Shea, Melissa Taylor, Kerry Shine, Tim McMahon, Carol Taylor, Bill Cahill and Edwina Farquhar, who all won re-election bids.

The 10 councillors will be led by mayor Geoff McDonald, who easily beat little-known challenger Douglas Doelle.

Here are the big takeaways from polling results in the 2024 Toowoomba Regional Council election:

Vonhoff’s extraordinary dominance revealed

Rebecca Vonhoff chats to voters at the polling booth at Centenary Heights High School. TRC election Saturday March 16, 2024. Picture: Bev Lacey

Already the region’s most popular councillor coming into the election, Rebecca Vonhoff’s dominance over the rest of the field was extended in 2024.

The deputy mayor’s polling of just under eight per cent actually means nearly 80 per cent of residents numbered her box on their ballots.

She topped virtually every booth and voting category based on ECQ data, which included city suburbs and small rural localities.

Her incredible popularity is made more extraordinary when compared against similar races across Queensland at the March 16 election.

News Corp analysis has revealed Ms Vonhoff’s ability to attract 79.8 per cent of possible votes in the Toowoomba region was better than any other council candidate in an undivided council race with a comparable ratio of candidates-to-spots.

In other words, in council elections where 50 per cent or less of the field was guaranteed a place (in the case of Toowoomba, 37 per cent), Ms Vonhoff’s performance ranked the best against 35 other comparable races.

Even when including other undivided councils with lower numbers of candidates (higher than 50 per cent), her result is still 12th in the state out of 54 races.

Want to be on council? Make sure you have deep pockets

FKG Group executive chairman and Toowoomba business identity Gary Gardner. Picture by Andrew Coates, Salt Studios

Candidate Trevor Manteufel greets voters at Toowoomba East State School booth. Picture: Bev Lacey

Toowoomba’s two newest candidates were also some of the highest-spending contenders on their campaigns, in a reminder of the deep pockets required to spread your message.

Data from the ECQ showed Real estate agent Trevor Manteufel, who has polled in 10th place with about four per cent of the vote, invested more than $16,000 into his campaign.

While he would’ve no doubt benefited from his famous name and reputation, Toowoomba magnate Gary Gardner also spent more than $15,000 to secure nearly six per cent of the vote.

These numbers were almost double the budget of the next highest spending candidate who wasn’t an incumbent in Robert Relvas.

Reeson, Adhikari and Greens make impressive returns

Campaign helpers at Glenvale State School polling booth with councillor candidate, Eakraj Adhikari (front). TRC election Saturday March 16, 2024. Picture: Bev Lacey

While they didn’t secure a place, community advocates Andrew Reeson and Eakraj Adhikari turned small campaign budgets into large vote returns at the 2024 election.

Running in his first campaign, Harlaxton small business owner Mr Reeson is on track to potentially finish 11th with 3.28 per cent of the vote.

In some booths like Mount Lofty, Toowoomba North, Centenary Heights, Harlaxton, Newtown and Yarraman, Mr Reeson even polled in the top 10.

He also performed strongly with telephone voting and in-person declaration voting.

His push for a council spot, which started last year, was underpinned by humorous signs, self-organised community events and a small army of volunteers supporting him.

Mr Adhikari, a member of Toowoomba’s multicultural community, went from dead-last in 2020 to just outside the top 10 four years later and polling at 2.9 per cent of first preferences.

He was particularly strong in some of the city’s wealthiest areas like Centenary Heights, East Toowoomba, Mount Lofty and Middle Ridge.

Neither men were inside the top 15 for campaign expenditure, making their achievements all the more remarkable.

Greens candidate Ellisa Parker is also celebrating, after securing just shy of three per cent of first preferences with reported budget of less than $1000.

Other notable also-rans were self-described conservative Mark Orford (3.24 per cent), environmental activist Scot McPhie (three per cent) and disability advocate Paul Wilson (3.09 per cent), who all look set to poll in the top 15.

Bizarre family ticket falters

Toowoomba Regional Council candidates (from left) Angus, Leeanne and George Westgarth.

A family of real estate agents who ran a group ticket in the Toowoomba council election look poised to occupy the bottom spots in the race.

Leeanne, George and Angus Westgarth revealed their collective candidacy during the week of the ballot draw, running on regional representation and addressing the ongoing housing crisis.

Ms Westgarth performed best with 1.9 per cent of votes, with George on 1.43 per cent and Angus currently last on 1.16 per cent.

Few votes for ‘anti-woke’ group

Say No To Woke council candidate Nathan Essex stands at the Toowoomba pre-polling centre in Newtown.

Easily the most controversial candidates of the election and among the highest-spending, “anti-woke” campaigners Nathan Essex and Adam Carney have both failed to secure places on the next council by some margins.

Mr Essex’s performance of 2.88 per cent has him coming 17th in the field of 27 candidates, about 12,000 votes behind 10th place candidate Trevor Manteufel.

The interstate truck driver was the face of the Say No To Woke ticket, spending more than $8000 and being a consistent presence on the campaign trail.

Mr Essex argued the council was embracing a “woke agenda” but struggled to clarify that allegation with specific examples, though he did criticise its use of welcome to country statements, the potential renaming of Tabletop Mountain (Meewah) and a proposal to introduce hire e-scooters to Toowoomba that had already been canned.

His strongest booths were in regional centres and localities like Clifton, Millmerran, Oakey, Emu Creek, Pittsworth and Quinalow and he also performed well with telephone voters. Mr Carney polled at 2.31 per cent, putting him in the bottom 10.