# 2024 Queensland local elections

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.
The original scheduled elections date of 30 March 2024 was moved ahead to 16 March to avoid clashing with Easter holidays.
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.

## Electoral systems

Like at state and federal elections, voting at Queensland local elections is compulsory. The elections are conducted by the Electoral Commission of Queensland (ECQ).

### Mayors and single-member wards

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.
In the 22 councils that use single-member wards (including Brisbane, Gold Coast and Townsville) OPV is also used.

### Multi-member wards

Only Ipswich uses multi-member wards, with four two-member wards (resulting in eight total councillors).
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. 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).

### Undivided councils

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.
Plurality block voting is used for these councils.

## Candidates

1,422 candidates were nominated for the elections at the close of nominations on 14 February 2024.
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.
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". 15 mayoral positions and 46 councillor positions were uncontested, the highest number since 2012.
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.
An analysis from the ABC found that over 10% of independents in the elections were members of a political party.

## Party changes before elections

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 |
| Cairns | Division 2 | Rob Pyne | Independent Socialist | Socialist Alliance | 23 September 2020 |
| Redland | Mayor | Karen Williams | Independent | Independent LNP | 17 May 2021 |
| Cairns | Division 9 | Brett Olds | Independent LNP | Independent | 20 September 2021 |
| Moreton Bay | Division 7 | Yvonne Barlow | Independent LNP | Independent | 2022 |
| Scenic Rim | Mayor | Greg Christensen | Independent LNP | Independent | 26 April 2023 |
| Cairns | Division 5 | Amy Eden | Cairns Unity | Team Eden | 14 July 2023 |
| Mackay | Unsubdivided | Belinda Hassan | Greg Williamson Alliance | Independent Labor | 15 December 2023 |
| Mackay | Unsubdivided | Fran Mann | Greg Williamson Alliance | Independent Labor | 15 December 2023 |
| Mackay | Unsubdivided | Justin Englert | Greg Williamson Alliance | Independent | 15 December 2023 |
| Mackay | Unsubdivided | Pauline Townsend | Greg Williamson Alliance | Independent | 15 December 2023 |

## Results

All changes compared with the 2020 elections.
| Party | Party | Votes | % | Swing | Seats | Seats | Councils | Councils |
| Party | Party | Votes | % | Swing | Number | Change | Number | Change |
| | Liberal National | 329,282 | | | 18 | 1 | 1 | |
| | Mackay First | 233,137 | | | 4 | 4 | 0 | |
| | Labor | 188,946 | | | 5 | | 0 | |
| | Say NO to WOKE | 50,418 | | | 0 | | 0 | |
| | Westgarths | 43,665 | | | 0 | | 0 | |
| | Your Voice Of Experience | 27,288 | | | 2 | | 0 | |
| | Better Brighter Ipswich | 23,613 | | | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| | Working For Our Community | 21,621 | | | 0 | | 0 | |
| | Independent Federation | 18,801 | | | 0 | | 0 | |
| | Community Centred and Connected | 16,715 | | | 0 | | 0 | |
| | Team Sheila Ireland | 10,256 | | | 0 | | 0 | |
| | Independent Socialist Alliance | 2,296 | | | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| | Independent United Australia | 2,220 | | | 0 | | 0 | |
| | Independent Democratic | 545 | | | 0 | | 0 | |
| | Independent | | | | 446 | | | |
| | Independent Liberal National | | | | 40 | | 1 | |
| | Independent Labor | | | | 29 | | 0 | |
| | Greens | | | | 2 | 1 | 0 | |
| | Animal Justice | | | | 0 | | 0 | |
| | Independent Animal Justice | | | | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| | Team Eden | | | | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| | Cairns Unity Team | | | | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| | Jos Mitchell Leading Change | | | | 3 | 3 | 0 | |
| | Team Jenny Hill | | | | 4 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| | Team Barwick | | | | 0 | | 0 | |
| | Community First | | | | 0 | | 0 | |
| | TownsvilleCHANGE | | | | 2 | 2 | 0 | |
| | Team MacRae | | | | 4 | | 0 | |
| | A Better Lockyer | | | | 1 | | 0 | |
| | Unity Maranoa | | | | 1 | | 0 | |
| | Team Greg Williamson | | | | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| | Locals United - Back to Basics | | | | 0 | | 0 | |
| | Independent Legalise Cannabis | | | | 0 | | 0 | |
| | Independent One Nation | | | | 0 | | 0 | |
| | Independent National | | | | 0 | | 0 | |
| | Independent Indigenous | | | | 0 | | 0 | |
| | Independent Democrats | | | | 0 | | 0 | |
| Formal votes | Formal votes | | | | | | | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | | | | | | | |
| Total | Total | | | | | | | |
| Registered voters / turnout | Registered voters / turnout | | | | | | | |

### Council control

| LGA | Elected mayor | Elected mayor | Elected mayor | Council control | Council control | Council control | Council control |
| LGA | Mayor | Mayor | Party | 2020 result | 2020 result | 2024 result | 2024 result |
| Aurukun | | Barbara Bandicootcha | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Balonne | | Samantha O'Toole | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Banana | | Neville Ferrier | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Barcaldine | | Rob Chandler | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Barcoo | | Sally O'Neil | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Blackall-Tambo | | Andrew Martin | Independent LNP | | Independent | | Independent |
| Boulia | | Eric (Rick) Britton | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Brisbane | | Adrian Schrinner | Liberal National | | Liberal National | | Liberal National |
| Bulloo | | John (Tractor) Ferguson | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Bundaberg | | Helen Blackburn | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Burdekin | | Pierina Dalle Cort | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Burke | | Ernie Camp | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Cairns | | Amy Eden | Team Eden | | Cairns Unity | | No overall control |
| Carpentaria | | Jack Bawden | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Cassowary Coast | | Teresa Millwood | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Central Highlands | | Janice Moriarty | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Charters Towers | | Liz Schmidt | Independent LNP | | Independent | | Independent |
| Cherbourg | | Bruce Simpson | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Cloncurry | | Greg Campbell | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Cook | | Robyn Holmes | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Croydon | | Trevor Pickering | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Diamantina | | Francis Murray | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Doomadgee | | Fredrick O'Keefe | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Douglas | | Lisa Scomazzon | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Etheridge | | Barry Hughes | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Flinders | | Kate Peddle | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Fraser Coast | | George Seymour | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Gladstone | | Matt Burnett | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Gold Coast | | Tom Tate | Independent LNP | | Independent LNP | | Independent LNP |
| Goondiwindi | | Laurence Springborg | Independent LNP | | Independent | | Independent |
| Gympie | | Glen Hartwig | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Hinchinbrook | | Ramon Jayo | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Hope Vale | | Bruce Gibson | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Ipswich | | Teresa Harding | Independent LNP | | No overall control | | No overall control |
| Isaac | | Kelly Vea Vea | Independent Labor | | Independent | | Independent |
| Kowanyama | | Territa Dick | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Livingstone | | Adam Belot | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Lockhart River | | Wayne Butcher | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Lockyer Valley | | Tanya Milligan | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Logan | | Jon Raven | Independent Labor | | Independent | | Independent |
| Longreach | | Tony Rayner | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Mackay | | Greg Williamson | Team Greg Williamson | | Greg Williamson Alliance | | No overall control |
| Mapoon | | Ronaldo Guivarro | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Maranoa | | Wendy Taylor | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Mareeba | | Angela Toppin | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| McKinlay | | Janene Fegan | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Moreton Bay | | Peter Flannery | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Mornington | | Richard Sewter | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Mount Isa | | Peta MacRae | Team MacRae | | | | |
| Murweh | | Shaun Radnedge | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Napranum | | Roy Chevathen | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Noosa | | Frank Wilkie | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| North Burnett | | Les Hotz | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Northern Peninsula | | Robert Poipoi | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Palm Island | | Alf Lacey | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Paroo | | Suzette Beresford | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Pormpuraaw | | Ralph Kendall | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Quilpie | | Benjamin Hall | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Redland | | Jos Mitchell | Leading Change | | Independent | | Independent |
| Richmond | | John Wharton | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Rockhampton | | Tony Williams | Independent Labor | | Independent | | Independent |
| Scenic Rim | | Tom Sharp | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Somerset | | Jason Wendt | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| South Burnett | | Kathy Duff | Independent LNP | | Independent | | Independent |
| Southern Downs | | Melissa Hamilton | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Sunshine Coast | | Rosanna Natoli | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Tablelands | | Rod Marti | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Toowoomba | | Geoff McDonald | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Torres | | Elsie Seriat | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Torres Strait Islands | | Phillemon Mosby | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Townsville | | Troy Thompson | Independent | | Team Jenny Hill | | No overall control |
| Western Downs | | Andrew Smith | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Whistunday | | Ry Collins | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Winton | | Cathy White | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Woorabinda | | Terence Munns | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Wujal Wujal | | Alister Gibson | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |
| Yarrabah | | Daryl Sexton | Independent | | Independent | | Independent |