Hope Vale Aboriginal Shire Council Mayor Jason Woibo (right), pictured with recently-retired Weipa Town Authority chair Michael Rowland, looks to be one of only three Cape York and Torres Strait council leaders to have retained power at the 16 March local government elections. Photo: Cape York Weekly.
The Electoral Commission of Queensland (ECQ) is yet to make declarations, but it appears as though only three sitting Cape York and Torres Strait mayors will be returned to power following the 16 March Queensland local government elections.
Lockhart River Mayor Wayne Butcher looks set for re-election with a 12.34 per cent margin in a two-candidate race, while Hope Vale Mayor Jason Woibo holds a four-vote lead from the eight other candidates seeking to replace him.
Mayor Butcher will likely survive a voting swing against him and said it was the closest result he had experienced during his four election cycles.
“It’s a big relief,” he said.
“There’s been a swing against me there, for sure.”
Torres Strait Island Regional Council (TSIRC) will most likely be led by Mayor Phillemon Mosby for another four years, with the incumbent holding a 40.12 per cent share of primary votes in a five-candidate race, a lead of nearly 10 per cent over John Kris, who sat in second place as counting continued on 27 March.
The ECQ extended voting by a week for TSIRC electors after inclement weather hampered mobile polling attempts in the lead-up to 16 March.
For Cook Shire Council, it is shaping up as a council led by Robyn Holmes, with Sarah Martin, Marilyn Morris, Justin Coventry, Gavin Dear and Melinda Parker looking secure to fill five of the six councillor seats.
The sixth spot in the chamber is too close to call, with Greg Whittaker, Ross Logan and Nash Snider the most likely candidates to claim it.
Voters have until 26 March to return postal ballots, meaning the ECQ is expected to start making declarations across the 14 Cape York and Torres Strait local government areas by the end of the week.
You can keep up to date with the latest vote tally in your council area at ECQ’s 2024 Queensland local government elections website.
