2024 Queensland local elections
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The 2024 Queensland local elections were held on 16 March 2024 to elect the mayors and councils of the 77 local government areas in Queensland, Australia.[3][4]
The original scheduled elections date of 30 March 2024 was moved ahead to 16 March to avoid clashing with Easter holidays.[5]
The elections were held on the same day as the state by-elections in Inala and Ipswich West.
There was a surprisingly large number of candidates elected unopposed in many council elections across Queensland, including some mayoral races. The lack of opposition to these candidates was criticised by experts as being bad for democracy.[6]
Electoral systems
[edit]Like at state and federal elections, voting at Queensland local elections is compulsory.[7] The elections are conducted by the Electoral Commission of Queensland (ECQ).[8]
Mayors and single-member wards
[edit]All 77 councils use optional preferential voting (OPV) for mayoral elections. Under this system, voters are only required to vote for one candidates, although they can choose to preference other candidates.[9]
In the 22 councils that use single-member wards (including Brisbane, Gold Coast and Townsville) OPV is also used.[10]
Multi-member wards
[edit]Only Ipswich uses multi-member wards, with four two-member wards (resulting in eight total councillors).[11]
No form of preferential voting is in place, with plurality block voting − also referred to as first-past-the-post by the ECQ − instead used.[12] Voters are only required to mark the same amount of candidates as there are positions to be elected (in the case of Ipswich, two candidates).[13]
Undivided councils
[edit]54 councils are undivided, meaning they do not use any forms of wards and all councillors are elected to a single area representing the entire council.[14]
Plurality block voting is used for these councils.[12]
Candidates
[edit]1,422 candidates were nominated for the elections at the close of nominations on 14 February 2024.[15]
Steve "Jacko" Jackson, a former rugby league footballer, ran for mayor of Mackay. Former MP George Christensen contested Mackay Regional Council as a candidate for Jackson's Mackay First ticket.[16]
Another former federal MP, Andrew Laming, ran for mayor of Redland. On 25 January 2024, he confirmed he had dropped his Liberal National Party (LNP) membership, saying it had "no place" at a local level".[17] 15 mayoral positions and 46 councillor positions were uncontested, the highest number since 2012.[15]
On 21 February, the LNP disendorsed Brisbane City Council candidate Brock Alexander after comments he allegedly made about the parents of Daniel Morecombe came to light. Alexander was a candidate for Deagon Ward, and his name still appeared on the ballot as he was disendorsed after the close of nominations.[18]
An analysis from the ABC found that over 10% of independents in the elections were members of a political party.[19]
Party changes before elections
[edit]A number of councillors joined, left or formed parties before the 2024 elections.
| Council | Ward | Councillor | Former party | New party | Date | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Coast | Division 9 | Glenn Tozer | Independent LNP | Independent | June 2020[20][21] | ||
| Cairns | Division 2 | Rob Pyne | Independent Socialist | Socialist Alliance | 23 September 2020[22] | ||
| Redland | Mayor | Karen Williams | Independent | Independent LNP | 17 May 2021[23] | ||
| Cairns | Division 9 | Brett Olds | Independent LNP | Independent | 20 September 2021[24] | ||
| Moreton Bay | Division 7 | Yvonne Barlow | Independent LNP | Independent | 2022[25][26] | ||
| Scenic Rim | Mayor | Greg Christensen | Independent LNP | Independent | 26 April 2023[27] | ||
| Cairns | Division 5 | Amy Eden | Cairns Unity | Team Eden | 14 July 2023[28][29] | ||
| Mackay | Unsubdivided | Belinda Hassan | Greg Williamson Alliance | Independent Labor | 15 December 2023[30] | ||
| Mackay | Unsubdivided | Fran Mann | Greg Williamson Alliance | Independent Labor | 15 December 2023[30] | ||
| Mackay | Unsubdivided | Justin Englert | Greg Williamson Alliance | Independent | 15 December 2023[30] | ||
| Mackay | Unsubdivided | Pauline Townsend | Greg Williamson Alliance | Independent | 15 December 2023[30] | ||
Results
[edit]All changes compared with the 2020 elections.
Council control
[edit]See also
[edit]- 2024 Queensland mayoral elections
- 2024 Brisbane City Council election
- 2024 Cairns Regional Council election
- 2024 Ipswich City Council election
- 2024 Gold Coast City Council election
- 2024 Townsville City Council election
Notes
[edit]- ^ While David Crisafulli was the leader of the parliamentary Liberal National Party, Adrian Schrinner was the leader of the LNP on Brisbane City Council, which was the only council that the party contested at the 2024 local elections.[1]
- ^ While Steven Miles was the leader of the parliamentary Labor Party, Jared Cassidy was the leader of Labor on Brisbane City Council, which was the only council that the party contested at the 2024 local elections.[2]
- ^ a b When compared to the Greg Williamson Alliance at the 2020 election
- ^ Most local councils are undivided, meaning the total number of votes is greater than the total number of ballots. This row lists the number of ballots.
References
[edit]- ^ Killoran, Matthew; Hall, James (27 March 2023). "Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner top mainland LNP figure as party crumbles". The Courier Mail. Archived from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
- ^ "Deagon (Key seat) - BCC Election 2024". ABC News. 16 March 2024. Archived from the original on 9 October 2024. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
- ^ "2024 local government elections". Electoral Commission of Queensland. 22 March 2024.
- ^ "Council candidates 2024". Queensland Greens. Archived from the original on 12 January 2024.
- ^ Kerr, Judith; McCormack, Madura (1 April 2023). "Council election moved to new date in March before Easter holidays in 2024". The Courier-Mail.
- ^ Messenger, Andrew (23 February 2024). "Politicians standing unopposed in local Queensland elections bad for democracy, expert says". The Guardian.
- ^ McKay, Jack (13 September 2024). "35,000 Queenslanders at risk of fine for not voting in council elections". ABC News. Archived from the original on 1 October 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
- ^ "Local Government Elections". Central Highlands Regional Council. Archived from the original on 19 June 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
- ^ Green, Antony (23 February 2024). "Election Preview". ABC News. Archived from the original on 18 September 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
- ^ "Is my council a divided, multi-member divided or undivided council?" (PDF). Electoral Commission of Queensland. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 October 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
- ^ Stone, Lucy (11 July 2019). "How Ipswich will be divided after next council election". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 31 March 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
- ^ a b "First-past-the-post voting". Electoral Commission of Queensland. Archived from the original on 25 October 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
- ^ "Qld Local Government". ABC News. Archived from the original on 18 September 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
- ^ "Govt makes new Mackay council undivided". ABC News. 28 September 2007. Archived from the original on 2 April 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
- ^ a b "1,422 candidates to contest the 2024 local government elections". Electoral Commission of Queensland. 6 March 2024. Archived from the original on 9 March 2024.
- ^ "Steve 'Jacko' Jackson's Mackay First team: Meet the candidates". The Courier Mail.
- ^ "Dr Laming confirms mayoral candidacy". Redland City News. 24 January 2024. Archived from the original on 29 January 2024. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
- ^ "LNP disendorses Deagon Ward candidate Brock Alexander over 'past comments'". The Courier Mail.
- ^ "When card-carrying political party members call themselves independent candidates, when does the spin stop?". ABC News. 10 March 2024.
- ^ "GLENN MARK TOZER". Electoral Commission of Queensland. 28 March 2020.
- ^ "I was a member of the LNP for 6 years and am now fiercely independent". Vote 1 Glenn Tozer.
- ^ "Councillor Rob Pyne: 'Democratic socialism is getting a wider hearing' | Green Left". www.greenleft.org.au. 23 September 2020. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
- ^ "Redland Mayor Karen Williams applies for LNP membership, considers running for Bowman seat in federal election". Redland City Bulletin. 17 May 2021.
- ^ "Vocal councillor quits LNP over Covid to be anti-vax 'poster boy'". Cairns Post.
- ^ "Meet the candidates for Division 7". Moreton Daily.
- ^ "YVONNE MARGARET BARLOW". Electoral Commission of Queensland. 2024.
- ^ "Nomination for Mayor or Councillor". Electoral Commission of Queensland.
- ^ "Eden to run for mayor". Cairns Local News.
- ^ "Mayoral candidate Amy Eden loses team member and Division 7 council candidate Sam Byrd". Cairns Post.
- ^ a b c d "Mackay councillors to break from Mayor Greg Williamson's alliance in 2024". The Courier Mail.
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