Qld 2024 election results: Meet Gympie’s new councillors

Turnover continues to be the word within Gympie Regional Council chambers, with more than half of the region’s local government representatives changing for a third election in a row. Meet your new councillors.

Gympie Regional Council 2024: Jess Milne, Dolly Jensen, Shane Warnes, Mick Curran, Mayor Glen Hartwig, Allona Lahn, Warren McEwan, Warren Polley, and Gordon Maudsley.

Turnover is the word when it comes to Gympie Regional Council, with voters again overhauling more than half of its council at the ballot box for the third election running.

A former mayor and four fresh faces are among the newly elected members to represent the city’s ratepayers following a drawn out, and at times controversial, count.

The final declarations were made by the Electoral Commission Queensland Tuesday afternoon.

Only two members of the 2024 council have more than two terms of experience in local government.

Four members of the 2024 council are facing their first term at government.

These are the faces of Gympie’s new council.

Glen Hartwig – Mayor

Mayor Glen Hartwig will serve his second term as Mayor, and third on the council.

Mr Hartwig is being returned as mayor for a second term although the council he leads will have a much different look, including the need for a new deputy mayor.

He reclaimed the seat with 54 per cent of the primary vote, well ahead of his closest rival, newcomer Naomi Wilson, who garnered 25 per cent first vote support.

A formers sandblaster, businessman, and before that police officer, Mr Hartwig has been on the council since 2016 when he was originally elected for the Division 2 seat.

Since his re-election he has said resolving the continuing sports field squeeze, including through the possible construction of a new indoor stadium, was among the top priorities for the new council.
He is now the representative with the longest continuing seat at the council.

Jess Milne – Division 1

Jess Milne has been re-elected for a second term.

Jess Milne is one of four returning councillors in 2024, claiming the seat in a tight contest against former deputy mayor Hilary Smerdon, who had moved from Division 6.

Ms Milne was originally elected in 2020, winning the seat from Mark McDonald by an extremely slim 15 vote margin.

This time Ms Milne won the seat by a 26-vote margin.

Before being elected to the council she was involved with a number of coast community groups including the Tin Can Bay Lioness’s, the Cooloola Coast Youth Activity Project, the Cooloola Coast Community Local Disaster Management Sub-Group, the Cooloola Cove Revive Our Creeks Project, and was involved with the formation of the area’s Girl Guides Group.

Dolly Jensen – Division 2

Dolly Jensen is returning for a second term.

Dolly Jensen has been re-elected for a second term, winning the seat comfortably over lone competitor Marcel Claassens.

Ms Jensen was returned to the seat on the back of 65 per cent support.

The Theebine resident’s background before joining the council included work being recognised by the Finance Sector Union Australia as the state’s best union representative in 2012, and worked in the sector as a bank employee.

Shane Warnes – Division 3

Shane Warnes is one of several new faces serving their first term on the council.

Shane Warnes is one of four new faces elected to the council at March 16, beating out fellow new candidate Charlie Horne for the job.

Mr Warnes won the seat with 51 per cent of the vote.

The businessman, who started a sand and gravel company called R and S Transport with his father Ray, is a lifelong Gympie resident who has previously worked as a staff member of the region’s councils in its civil construction department, too.

Mick Curran – Division 4

Mick Curran is returning for a third term on council, having previously served as a councillor from 2012 to 1015, and then mayor following the 2015 by-election.

Former mayor Mick Curran has been returned to council for what will be his third term as council after beating out incumbent Bruce Devereaux on preferences.

Mr Curran served as a councillor for Division 7 from 2012 to 2015, before being elected as Mayor in the 2015 by-election.

Before being elected to the council Mr Curran served with the police, and was the recipient of a bravery award in 2016.

Under his term the city’s Aquatic Centre was constructed, and the historic Mary Valley Rattler was resurrected

The latter project became a lighting rod of controversy as a result of several multimillion-dollar blow outs during its restoration.

The Rattler and the council formally split in 2023.

Allona Lahn – Division 5

Allona Lahn is a first time member of the council.

Allona Lahn has unseated incumbent Dan Stewart for the Division 5 seat following a ballot battle which was turned on its head when a recount identified 200 missing votes in her favour.

Ms Lahn, who has previously run at federal and state elections, is a former retail manager who moved from Mooloolaba to Mothar Mountain in 2021.

The same year she stood as a senate candidate for the Informed Medical Options Party, and in 2020 she stood for the Nicklin seat on the Sunshine Coast for the IMO Party.

Warren McEwan – Division 6

Warren McEwan is one of the new faces elected to the 2024 council.

Landowner and businessman Warren McEwan is the new representative for Division 6, vacated by Mr Smerdon for the 2024 election.

Mr McEwan, married and a father of two teenagers, Mr McEwan also ran two businesses, one working cattle, and an online outlet selling meat as far away as Miriam Vale, Toowoomba, and the Gold Coast.

The 2024 election was his first tilt at any level of government.

He won the seat on the back of 59 per cent first vote support, well clear of next-closest candidate Dave Golding.

Warren Polley – Division 7

Warren Polley is one of four councillors returned to their seat at the March 16 election.

Long standing businessman and owners of Polleys Coaches, Warren Polley, has been re-elected for a second term at the Division 7 seat.

Mr Polley fought off three other candidates to keep the seat, ultimately retaining it over citizen of the year Sean Connelly.

He received 31 per cent of the first vote; the official breakdown of preferences has not yet been published by the Electoral Commission Queensland.

Polleys Coaches has been a staple of the region’s business community for nearly 68 years, having started as a single bus at Tin Can Bay.

Gordon Maudsley – Division 8

Gordon Maudsley is a first-time council member, having won the Division 8 seat.

Mary Valley builder Gordon Maudsley emerged as the winner of the seat left open by the retirement of council stalwart Bob Fredman, who was on the organisation’s staff for 40 years before becoming a councillor.

He claimed the seat with 61 per cent of the vote, beating out Ruth Golding.

Mr Maudsley has been in the building industry for about 30 years, including working at Bundaberg, Gladstone and the Torres Strait.

He moved to Amamoor with his family about 20 years ago and launched his own company.

Originally published as Qld 2024 election results: Meet Gympie’s new councillors