Winston Johnston re-elected in Div 5

Cr Johnston: “Division 5 is an extremely diverse division ... with seven towns and 26 districts, it’s difficult to get around and be well known in all areas.”

by Janine Hill

THE vote count swung in and out of his favour but Winston Johnston has been returned as the councillor for Division five on the Sunshine Coast.

On Thursday, the Electoral Commission declared Cr Johnston the winner with 9565 votes or 53.29% after the counting of preferences. Preferences from Richard Bruinsma helped him to a winning margin of 1181 over Greens candidate Tracy Burton, who won the primary votes at several booths and held the lead at one stage during counting.

Mr Bruinsma, the only other candidate in the division, had finished with 26.72% of the vote in the primary counting.

Mr Johnston had predicted preferences would swing his way, saying the usually favoured the incumbent.

With his position on the council secured, Cr Johnston was thankful to all who had supported him.

“I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to serve my community for another four years and also, I want to express my appreciation for that honour but also to the many people that supported me and assisted me during my campaign for the last four years” he said.

Cr Johnston was aware that he had held a margin over Tracy Burton of just under 300 votes before preferences helped him extend his lead by another 883 votes.

He was not fazed by how close Ms Burton had come to tipping him from council.

“I’ve been around long enough to know that it’s almost impossible to predict what’s going to happen in council elections,” he said.

“Division five is an extremely diverse division and whoever represents it will always find that with seven towns and 26 districts, it’s difficult to get around and be well known in all areas, and in addition to that, there were some particular issues which were played up in the campaign.

“Number one was the application for a Coles supermarket in Palmwoods but there were other issues.”

Cr Johnston was on an Easter break in Woodgate with his family when his Division five victory was declared but he expected to be back in time for the swearing in of the new council, which he expected would take place after the long weekend.

Bruinsma proud to highlight hinterland needs

JOURNALIST and political staffer Richard Bruinsma is proud of a campaign that garnered him more than a quarter of Division five first preferences against two strong candidates.

Mr Bruinsma came a close and competitive third to incumbent councillor Winston Johnson and Greens candidate Tracy Burton.

The long-term Palmwoods resident ran a modest campaign which involved a lot of good old-fashioned doorknocking to meet residents and ascertain their wants and needs from the Sunshine Coast Council.

 “While obviously I was disappointed that I won’t get a chance work with the community on my plans to make life better for everyone in Division five, it was a positive to receive around 26% of primary votes for a campaign I ran mostly myself with a very small handful of helpers,” he said.

“There are positives in every disappointment – and in my case I made some good new contacts, which I am in the process of following up.

“I raised numerous issues formally with council – and some of them are already being addressed.

“I helped put the needs of the hinterland firmly in the minds of the mayor-elect and hopefully senior council decision-makers, and I proved that true independents with small teams and low budgets can actually give an election a good shake.”

Mr Bruinsma said the biggest message he received during the campaign was that people wanted “genuine recognition by council, including senior staff, of the needs of the hinterland”.

Mr Bruinsma’s preferences contributed towards Cr Johnston’s final tally and he hoped the returning councillor would be successful for division five during the next four years.

“Best wishes to Winston for a term full of important achievements for the community,” he said.