Long-term Winton resident Frank Standfast is likely to become the shire's newest councillor following Saturday's by-election.
Although the poll declaration won't be made before Monday at the earliest, Mr Standfast had received 295 votes or 46.83 per cent of the vote in counting on Saturday night.
Teonie Stockham was the next highest polling candidate with 142 votes, 22.54pc in unofficial counting.
Behind them were Lynda Alcorn with 100 votes and Kerry Turnbull on 93 votes.
Mr Standfast, a Transport and Main Roads roadworks inspector covering the Winton, Longreach and Barcoo regions, will be replacing first-term councillor Sandy Gillies, who resigned after being appointed CEO of the Western Queensland Primary Health Network.
It is Mr Standfast's second attempt to become a Winton Shire councillor - he ran unsuccessfully in the 2016 local government elections and said he was a bit overwhelmed by the show of support he received this weekend.
"I hate to see the population decline and I want to help productively," he said. "Don't get me wrong, I know I can't work magic as soon as I get in but that's what I'm about."
He said he would be giving up his Winton responsibilities with TMR if he were elected.
Some 638 votes were cast in the first-past-the-post election.
Under the Local Government Act 2009, when a councillor resigns in the first 12 months of a new term, the council has two options, either to hold a by-election or "give a vacancy notice to the runner-up who is first in the order of priority".
Winton voted at its December meeting to fill the vacancy via a by-election, as did the Barcoo Shire, where another first-term councillor Ingrid Miller also resigned.
Candidate nominations for the Barcoo Shire by-election close at midday on Monday, February 8.
On Sunday afternoon three people had nominated - the officer in charge of the Jundah Police Station Glen Arrold, Stonehenge publican and grazier Tony Jackson, and Jundah publican Warren Hansen.
Of those, Mr Jackson contested the 2020 local government election and ended up one vote out of the race, receiving 83 votes while the fourth councillor elected, Andrew Miller tallied 84 votes.
The Barcoo Shire by-election will be a full postal vote and ballot papers will be dispatched to about 200 electors from Tuesday, February 9, with voting to be completed by 6pm on Saturday, March 6.
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Sally Gall
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
