By HARRY CLARKE
SIX weeks out from Queensland’s council elections, local government representatives in some areas are concerned about how few candidates have thus far nominated to run for office.
Queenslanders will head to the polls on March 16 but voters in the Toowoomba, Western Downs and Goondiwindi regions may have limited options to choose from with regard to who they want representing them in local government.
Councils this week began pre-election caretaker periods, restricting them from awarding large contracts or making, amending or repealing local laws until after the elections, among other rules.
In the Western Downs region, Mayor Paul McVeigh along with two sitting councillors will be retiring at the end of the current term, creating three vacancies to be filled.
Two-term councillor Andrew Smith announced his mayoral candidacy in December while the remaining four incumbents have all since declared they will run for another term.
But so far only one new candidate has put their hand up to run for a Western Downs councillor position, meaning all candidates will be guaranteed a position and one position won’t be filled unless more candidates nominate.
[adrotate group=”7″]
“I’m a bit worried that we’re not getting much interest,” outgoing Western Downs mayor Paul McVeigh told the Caller.
“By this time last election we probably had five or six new candidates putting their hand up, but we haven’t had that this time.
“With three retiring councillors (including myself) I certainly encourage people to have a serious look at whether they’d be interested in putting their hand up for their community moving.
“There’s a real reward when you do things to represent your community and do things that improve your community.”
In Goondiwindi, one sitting councillor has announced they will not be re-contesting, with only three new candidates understood to have nominated thus far.
Third term Toowoomba Councillor Nancy Sommerfield has announced she will not re-contest on March 16.
There are currently six non-sitting candidates who have announced their nominations for Toowoomba Regional Council – half of the roughly 12 aspiring councillors who’d nominated within one week of the caretaker period ahead of the 2020 local government election.
Toowooomba councillor Kerry Shine, a former MP for the state government seat of Toowoomba North now running for a third term of local government, said it was unclear why running for council had apparently become unfashionable.
“Usually when people are upset or dissatisfied with then council or the government, that’s when they would get activated rather than go quiet,” Shine (pictured) said.
“You would normally expect in a situation where there are fewer council candidates that most people are happy with what they’ve got. I’d like to think that was the case but in Toowoomba there are different factors.
“Last time there were four vacancies in that four sitting councillors were not standing again for election, and for those standing for council that gave them a better chance of getting elected.
“This time around we’ve only had one councillor, Councillor Sommerfield, announce that she’s not standing again, so the chances of getting elected are 25 percent of what they were last time.”
Figures provided to the Caller by the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) indicate that, statewide, the number of candidates compared to vacant council positions had been fairly consistent for the past three elections.
In 2020 there were 1574 candidates running for 578 positions, in 2016 there were 1496 candidates running for 502 positions, and in 2012 there were 1292 candidates running for 488 positions.
The candidates per vacancy rates were 2.7, 2.9 and 2.6 respectively.
LGAQ chief executive Alison Smith said the overall competitiveness around council positions in Queensland would be clearer after the nomination period closes in mid-February.
“We will get an accurate picture about candidate numbers once nominations close in mid-February.
“Our members tell us that being on council is challenging but highly rewarding with the opportunity to represent and improve liveability for your community.
[adrotate group=”7″]
“As the level of government closest to communities, one of the biggest challenges for councils is securing a fair deal on funding.
“Every time local government receives low or no funding to take on more responsibilities from state and federal governments, or from the private sector, that creates a cost-shift to councils.
“Cost-shifting to councils is ultimately a cut to community liveability
“A new report by the LGAQ shows councils, and therefore ratepayers, are having to fund a $360 million gap every year for services and infrastructure that other levels of government or the private sector have walked away from.”
One thought on “Election concerns over council candidate shortages”