Former state MP seizes healthy lead in Townsville mayoral race

1 day ago 6

Former Katter Party deputy leader Nick Dametto has broken ahead with a healthy lead of more than 21,000 votes as ballot papers continued to be counted in Townsville’s mayoral by-election.

By Sunday morning, with about a third of the votes counted, Dametto claimed more than 60 per cent of the vote, followed by current Acting Mayor Ann-Maree Greaney, with just over 12 per cent.

In an online post on Saturday night after Townsville Bulletin called the by-election in his favour, Dametto thanked voters, attaching a picture of himself sharing a beer with locals at the city’s Metropole pub.

Former Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto (far right) thanked Townsville after local media called the mayoral by-election in his favour.

“Cheers Townsville – I love this city,” he wrote.

Dametto announced he would run for Townsville mayor hours after former mayor Troy Thompson tendered his resignation following an 18-month investigation from the state corruption watchdog sparked by claims he lied about various credentials, including his military service, in the lead-up to his 2024 victory.

Thompson ran for re-election in the by-election, and on Sunday morning was sitting with about 5 per cent of the vote.

Dametto did not officially claim victory on Saturday night, with postal votes arriving within the next nine days to remain eligible, although a result could be called before then.

As a state MP, Dametto held the seat of Hinchinbrook, which covered coastal regions north of Townsville, including Ingham and Cardwell, as well as divisions one, two, and four of the Townsville local government area.

He tendered his resignation to Queensland parliament in mid-October, saying he was “going home”.

“This is like an opportunity when you get a call-up or tap on the shoulder to come back and run the family farm,” Dametto said.

“I want to put my name forward and say I have a strong plan to become the next mayor of Townsville. This will be a campaign won on policy and vision,” he told parliament.

On October 17, the state announced it would hold a by-election for Dametto’s old seat of Hinchinbrook, revealing in early November that the vote would fall on November 29.

The seat has been held by Katter’s Australian Party since Dametto’s 2017 win, having previously been a blue seat for three consecutive terms, and historically swinging heavily towards the Nationals.

Shortly after Dametto stepped down, his party revealed its new candidate, former Labor-aligned Townsville deputy mayor Mark Molachino.

Within the week, the LNP brought foward its candidate for the seat – Ingham business operator and one-time radio match caller for North Queensland Cowboys NRL games Wayde Chiesa – and took aim at Molachino’s former Labor-party alignment.

The Labor Party put forward a candidate on November 3, more than two weeks after KAP and the LNP, quelling rumours that Labor might not run.

Labor leader Steven Miles said in October he was not optimistic the vote would reflect the ALP’s wider popularity.