NEW MAYOR HAS A JOB AHEAD OF A COUNCIL THAT IS STILL YET TO BE DECIDED
Just priot to going to press, the Local Government election for Redland City Council was still undecided.
The first and most definite outcome was the election of the Mayor for the next four years.
Jos Mitchell won comfortably, from former Federal Member for Bowman Andrew Laming and Cindy Corrie.
This was known within hours of the booths closing, and it was the only outcome for quite some time.
Only three divisions, Divisions 1. 3 and 10, had been decided as we closed our columns for this edition.
Wendy Boglary in Division 1 and Paul Bishop in Division 10 were ‘no contests’. They had no opposition.
Paul Golle was a clear winner in Division 3.
The only other seemingly clear winner was in Division 7 with Rowanne McKenzie comfortably ahead of Murray Elliott 53-37%, but with still no definitive result because the count had not been completed.
In Division 9 newcomer Jason Colley was comfortably ahead of the incumbent councillor Adelia Berridge 56-44%.
Tracey Hughes in Divison 8 and Julie Talty in Division 6 looked home and hosed, but the counts were still not completed two weeks after the election.
The other divisions have been on somewhat of a knife’s edge.
In Division 5, candidates for election were island residents Shane Rendalls of Russell Island and Travis Hilton of Macleay Island.
Shane Rendalls was leading the voting 51% to 48% with 97% of the count completed.
Rendalls had taken a big early lead at all the voting-day polling booths, but Hilton Travis made a strong showing in postal and pre-polling.
The result still may not be known by the time you get to read this, and don’t be surprised if there are some recounts.
It is likely that Shane Rendalls will hang on for the win, but the late swing to Hilton Travis is still an unknown factor.
In Division 4 involving Coochiemudlo Island and Victoria Point, young mother Angel Crowden won everywhere except the finish line.
In every polling day booth, Crowden had leads of around 20%.
However, in pre polling and postal votes, incumbent Lance Hewlett had got to the lead 53-47% with the seat still undecided but looking like a win. It was impressive debut by the 24-year-old.
In Division 2 which takes in North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah), sitting councillor Peter Mitchell trailed in all the island polling booths, by a considerable margin.
However, he won big in Cleveland and the mainland and held probably a winning 51-48% lead over Cleveland businessman Brian McDonald.
With so much uncertainty, what does it mean for our new Mayor Jos Mitchell and the support group she hoped to have?
It seems she won’t have the numbers and her leadership could be all about ‘mending fences’ which just might be the most desirable outcome.
Let’s hope it is the end of the usual ‘Us and Them’ cut and thrust.