Former state MP claims victory in Townsville mayoral race

Former Katter’s Australian Party deputy state leader Nick Dametto is all but officially the new mayor of Townsville, having taken a comfortable lead in the byelection count in the north Queensland city.

On his social media, he shared an image of himself clinking a wine glass, captioned with “safe from Troy Thompson being voted in as mayor of Townsville”, in a dig at the controversial candidate and former mayor whose resignation prompted the new vote.

Thompson, who ran again, was coming fifth in the count on Sunday evening.

With about a third of the ballot papers counted, Dametto had claimed more than 61 per cent of the vote, followed by the current acting mayor Ann-Maree Greaney, with just over 12 per cent.

On Saturday night, with The Townsville Bulletin having already called the byelection in his favour, Dametto thanked voters, attaching a picture of himself sharing a beer with locals at the city’s Metropole pub.

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

Dametto announced he would run for Townsville mayor hours after Thompson tendered his resignation, following an 18-month investigation from the state corruption watchdog into the man elected to lead the council in 2024.

That probe was sparked by claims Thompson lied about various credentials, including his military service.

The Electoral Commission of Queensland had not yet declared the result, and was continuing its counting of postal votes that would arrive over the next nine days, but could officially call a result 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.”

A byelection will be held for Dametto’s old seat of Hinchinbrook on November 29.

The seat has been held by Katter’s Australian Party since Dametto’s 2017 win, having previously been an LNP seat for three consecutive terms, and historically favouring 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 announced 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.

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