Blog: Voters head to the polling booths to vote for state MPs in Central Qld

Labor is under real threat of losing its stronghold of Rockhampton and possibly Keppel, but the Gladstone Labor MP looks set to hold his seat and the LNP will likely hold Callide and Gregory. See our election day blog here.

Central Queenslanders go to the polls in today’s state election with a number of hotly contested seats sitting on a knife-edge.

Central Queenslanders go to the polls in today’s state election with a number of hotly contested seats sitting on a knife-edge.

Labor is under real threat of losing its stronghold of Rockhampton and possibly Keppel in the face of a statewide swing to the LNP and strong One Nation candidates.

However, the seats of Gladstone, Callide and Gregory look set to remain in the hands of their current parties.

Read our local coverage of each Central Queensland electorate throughout the day below, and read rolling results on Saturday evening and in the Courier Mail’s live election blog.

In the meantime, voters still to cast their ballot can find their local booths here.

ROCKHAMPTON

LNP candidate for Keppel Nigel Hutton, Donna Kirkland LNP candidate for Rockhampton, Jess Conway, Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli, and Chris Robertson, during a visit to Our Space, Stockland Rockhampton Shopping Centre. Picture: Liam Kidston.

The LNP is also making a strong bid for Rockhampton with businesswoman and former regional councillor Donna Kirkland performing well in exit polling (snap survey of early voters) while Independent and former Rockhampton Mayor Margaret Strelow is also a major contender.

Labor candidate Craig Marshall, a healthcare worker and foster carer, is striving to retain the seat for his party following the retirement of Barry O’Rourke who won in 2017 after succeeding Bill Byrne who retired due to ill-health.

Independent candidate for Rockhampton Margaret Strelow outside Rockhampton Police Station. Picture: Aden Stokes

Labor has dominated elections in Rockhampton since the seat was first created in 1865 and it was one of only seven seats it won in the 2013 landslide loss to the LNP despite a 14 per cent swing against it there.

Find out more about all of the candidates.

KEPPEL

Premier Steven Miles and Health Minister Shannon Fentiman hold a press comference at the North Rockhampton Ambulance station with Brittany Lauga and Craig Marshall. Pics Adam Head

9am Saturday: While on Saturday morning Keppel MP Brittany Lauga was wary of making any predictions at 9am, she was feeling positive about her future while delivering coffees to her volunteers at Rockhampton polling booths. “I think it’s going to be tight,” Ms Lauga said. 

The 2024 result is expected to come down to preferences and the three-cornered contest may not be decided until well into next week.

In Keppel, former Livingstone deputy mayor Nigel Hutton and One Nation’s James Ashby are vying to take the seat from Labor’s Brittany Lauga, the Assistant Minister for Health, who has held Keppel since 2015.

One Nation’s James Ashby is vying to take the seat of Keppel from Labor’s Brittany Lauga. Photo: Steve Vit.

Ms Lauga beat the LNP candidate at the 2020 election with a 5.6 per cent margin after preferences with One Nation in third but exit polling indicates those parties have closed the gap with high profile candidates.

Find out more about all of the candidates.

GLADSTONE

Premier Steven Miles with MP Glenn Butcher in Gladstone. Photo - Annette Dew/Office of the Premier

In Gladstone, sitting member and Labor Minister for Water and Regional Development Glenn Butcher is expected to retain the seat given his 26 per cent majority (after preferences at the 2020 election).

In 2000, he improved that first preference vote to 64.4 per cent with the LNP second on 15.2 per cent and recorded a 26.5 per cent margin after preferences.

The Labor Minister for Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water’s main opposition was the LNP’s Steve Askew who was an industrial services contract manager.

Find out more about all of the candidates.

CALLIDE

The seat of Callide is expected to stay in LNP MP Bryson Head’s hands.

The seat of Callide is LNP heartland with Bryson Head winning the 2022 by election with a 28.3 per cent margin following the resignation of Colin Boyce, now the Federal member for Flynn.

Labor’s Bronwyn Dendle is running again after finishing second in 2022.

Find out more about all of the candidates.

GREGORY

In Gregory, fifth generation Alpha grazier Sean Dillon is heavily favoured to retain for the LNP after retiring MP Lachlan Millar won the 2020 election with a margin of 32.8 per cent after preferences.

Aramac resident Rebecca Humphreys is the Labor challenger who works as a communications officer for the Queensland Teachers Union.

Originally published as Blog: Voters head to the polling booths to vote for state MPs in Central Qld