The Electoral Commission of Queensland declared Grant Mathers the winner of Rockhamptonâs Division 3 by-election on Tuesday afternoon.
By first preferences, Mr Mathers received 46.09 per cent of the 4693 votes counted so far, followed by Deanna Beatsonâs 30.67 per cent.
âIâm extremely pleased with the result and I just want to get in and get the ball rolling as quickly as quickly as I can,â Mr Mathers said.
âI got a fantastic reaction with everyone Iâve been dealing with. Itâs just cemented the idea that Iâve been living in a great community â everyoneâs been really accommodating and really supportive.
The Rockhampton Division 3 by-election looks to end with a brother-sister councillor result. Grant Mathers, brother of long-standing councillor Cherie Rutherford, appears to be in the lead as counting of the votes for the Rockhampton Regional Council Division 3 by-election continues. The first count was conducted on Saturday night after the election day with 4,629 total votes counted. A total of 7,641 residents were required to vote with around 60 per cent having registered a vote to date. Grant Mathers is in the lead by around 15 per cent, according to the Queensland Electoral Commission website. Speaking on this morning (March 14), Mr Mathers said things were looking very positive and he was feeling good.
Premium Content
Subscriber only
With pre-polling for the Rockhampton Regional Council Division 3 by-election underway, candidate Grant Mathers has spoken with residents about the issues they would like council to address.
Mr Mathers said he had spoken with hundreds of residents while doing letterbox drops and at the pre-poll booth, as people went to vote.
“I have ranked the community’s concerns into a top 10. The list is not ranked in order of importance, but each of these issues has been raised several times, and each is important to those who raised it,” Mr Mathers said.
The top 10 Rockhampton Regional Council issues raised by Division 3 residents to Mr Mathers were:
Investing in sporting infrastructure and providing opportunities for the area’s youth are key policies for Division 3 council candidate Christian Shepherd.
Mr Shepherd noted the division’s huge range of sporting facilities, and how some were in need of upgrade.
“With three football clubs, rugby league, rugby union, Aussie rules football, Stapleton Park Skate Park, Frenchville Sports Club as well as Rockhampton Cricket Grounds, Callaghan Park and Norbridge Park, Rockhampton’s Division 3 has a very large sporting community,” he said.
“Many of these facilities are underfunded or under-utilised. All Blacks Park
For example, it’s been over 15 years since the skate park was initially constructed and it’s sorely overdue for expansion with skate, scooter and street BMX recreation booming in popularity with our youth.”
Premium Content
Early voting for the Rockhampton Regional Council Division 3 councillor by-election began on Monday.
The early voting is available at the James Lawrence Pavilion at the Rockhampton Showgrounds, with voting on weekdays from 9am to 5pm from Monday March 1, to Friday March 12.
The election day will be held on Saturday March 13, from 8am to 6pm, with booths at the Berserker Street State School and the Lakes Creek State School.
“The voting system is optional preferential, which means to make their vote count, electors can choose to number one, some, or all the five boxes on their ballot paper in their order of candidate preference,” Electoral Commission of Queensland Commissioner Pat Vidgen said.