People in a number of Queensland council areas woke up on Sunday morning to the news that their councils will now be led by women, many of them in northern parts of the state.
North Queensland already had high profile mayors Jenny Hill and Julia Leu in charge at Townsville City and Douglas Shire Councils, along with Belinda Murphy further west at McKinlay Shire Council, and Margaret Strehlow to the south at Rockhampton City Council.
Following Saturday’s local government elections they appear to have been joined by the likes of Joyce McCulloch at Mount Isa City Council and Lyn McLaughlin at the helm of the Burdekin Shire Council.
There’s a high probability that Liz Schmidt will be in charge of the Charters Towers Regional Council, while the race between Jane McNamara and Greg Jones in Flinders is too close to call.
Further south Rachel Chambers was leading the vote count at North Burnett, as was Annie Liston at Murweh, while Tracy Dobie’s likely win over Peter Blundell in Southern Downs was called early in the night.
Anne Baker at Isaac Regional Council was unopposed for the mayor’s position there.
Barcoo shire mayor Julie Groves has been the one female casualty from the election outcome – she received 20 per cent of the vote, compared to former mayor Bruce Scott, who finished Saturday night with 72 per cent support and the assurance of a comeback.
Before the election, Local Government Association of Queensland CEO Greg Hallam predicted there would be more female mayors once the dust had settled, despite the retirement of mayors such as Rosa Lea Long at Tablelands Regional Council and Donna Stewart at the Balonne Shire Council.
Queensland Rural Remote and Regional Women’s Network president Alison Mobbs applauded the female nominees for believing in themselves and for being role models for future generations of women.
“Now, more than ever, women feel they are able to lead a community with the skills, the support and the confidence to do so.
“It’s important to recognise the work of the women of previous generations who have fought hard over many years for this to be possible.
“It is their work that gives me hope that soon everyone’s daughter will assume it is not newsworthy that women run for the office of mayor.”
