2028 Queensland local elections explained

Country:Queensland
Type:parliamentary
Ongoing:yes
Election Date:25 March 2028[1]
Previous Election:2024 Queensland local elections
Previous Year:2024
Next Election:2032 Queensland local elections
Next Year:2032
Image1: IND
Leader1:N/A
Party1:Independents
Last Election1:446 seats
Seats Before1:446
Leader2:Adrian Schrinner
Party2:Liberal National Party of Queensland
Last Election2:18 seats
Seats Before2:18
Leader4:Jared Cassidy
Party4:Australian Labor Party (Queensland Branch)
Last Election4:5 seats
Seats Before4:5
Leader5:No leader
Party5:Greens
Last Election5:2 seats
Seats Before5:2

The 2028 Queensland local elections are scheduled to be held on 25 March 2028 to elect the mayors and councils of the 77 local government areas in Queensland, Australia.

Electoral systems

Like at state and federal elections, voting at Queensland local elections is compulsory.[2] The elections are conducted by the Electoral Commission of Queensland (ECQ).[3]

Mayors and single-member wards

All 77 councils use optional preferential voting (OPV) for mayoral elections. Under this system, voters are only required to vote for one candidates, although they can choose to preference other candidates.[4]

In the 22 councils that use single-member wards (including Brisbane, Gold Coast and Townsville) OPV is also used.[5]

Multi-member wards

See also: 2028 Ipswich City Council election. Only Ipswich uses multi-member wards, with four two-member wards (resulting in eight total councillors).[6]

No form of preferential voting is in place, with plurality block voting − also referred to as first-past-the-post by the ECQ − instead used.[7] Voters are only required to mark the same amount of candidates as there are positions to be elected (in the case of Ipswich, two candidates).[8]

Undivided councils

54 councils are undivided, meaning they do not use any forms of wards and all councillors are elected to a single area representing the entire council.[9]

Plurality block voting is used for these councils.[7]

Party changes before elections

As of October 2024, two councillors have joined a party before the 2028 elections.

Council Ward Councillor Former party New party Date
CairnsDivision 5Rob Pyne  29 April 2024
LoganDivision 8Jacob Heremaia Independent 26 August 2024[10] [11] [12]

Political parties

Queensland councils are largely non-partisan. Most wards are not contested by political parties and are rarely successful when they do. The sole exception to this is Brisbane, which is contested by the Liberal National Party, Labor and the Greens. These parties are all likely to recontest in 2028.[13] There are also a number of councillors and candidates who are members of political parties but ran as independents.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: So when is the next federal election? A quick guide . Parliament of Australia . 5 October 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241005055943/https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_departments/Parliamentary_Library/Research/Quick_Guides/2022-23/WhenIsTheNextElection2022 . 5 October 2024 . 22 August 2022 . Queensland local government elections are held every 4 years on the last Saturday in March, unless changed by regulation..
  2. Web site: McKay . Jack . 35,000 Queenslanders at risk of fine for not voting in council elections . ABC News . 15 November 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241001183307/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-13/failure-to-vote-notices-issued-queensland-council-elections/104345576 . 1 October 2024 . 13 September 2024.
  3. Web site: Local Government Elections . Central Highlands Regional Council . 15 November 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240619174754/https://www.chrc.qld.gov.au/local-government-elections/ . 19 June 2024.
  4. Web site: Green . Antony . Election Preview . ABC News . 15 November 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240918062403/https://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/bcc/2024/guide/preview . 18 September 2024 . 23 February 2024.
  5. Web site: Is my council a divided, multi-member divided or undivided council? . Electoral Commission of Queensland . 15 November 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241018111600/https://www.ecq.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/61922/Local-government-elections-Councils-list.pdf . 18 October 2024.
  6. Web site: Stone . Lucy . How Ipswich will be divided after next council election . Brisbane Times . 15 November 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240331063546/https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/how-ipswich-will-be-divided-after-next-council-election-20190711-p5266g.html . 31 March 2024 . 11 July 2019.
  7. Web site: First-past-the-post voting . Electoral Commission of Queensland . 15 November 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241025205457/https://www.ecq.qld.gov.au/how-to-vote/voting-systems/first-past-the-post-voting . 25 October 2024.
  8. Web site: Qld Local Government . ABC News . 15 November 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240918062403/https://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/bcc/2024/guide/local-elections . 18 September 2024.
  9. Web site: Govt makes new Mackay council undivided . ABC News . 15 November 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240402002602/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2007-09-28/govt-makes-new-mackay-council-undivided/683888 . 2 April 2024 . 28 September 2007.
  10. Web site: JACOB ABBOTT HEREMAIA . Electoral Commission of Queensland . 3 November 2024 . https://archive.today/20241103222504/https://event.elections.qld.gov.au/Candidate/CandidateDetail?EventID=622&EventType=2&ContestID=0&BoundaryID=12532&LGAID=81&ID=49251 . 3 November 2024 . 13 February 2024.
  11. Web site: Manning . Chris . Logan councillor to run for State parliament . MyCity Logan . 3 November 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240904083900/https://mycitylogan.com.au/logan-councillor-to-run-for-state-parliament/ . 4 September 2024 . 26 August 2024.
  12. Web site: Manning . Chris . Party lines blurred . MyCity Logan . 3 November 2024 . https://archive.today/20241103222438/https://mycitylogan.com.au/party-lines-blurred/ . 3 November 2024 . 17 September 2024.
  13. Web site: Sriranganathan . Jonathan . Solid swings but not many ward wins – unpacking the results of the 2024 Brisbane City Council election . Green Agenda . 10 September 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240526175709/https://greenagenda.org.au/2024/04/solid-swings-but-not-many-ward-wins/ . 26 May 2024 . 10 April 2024 . The lower turnout from younger people/renters has hurt our results yet again, and this is one of the major challenges the Greens will have to grapple with next council election in 2028..

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