Special Meeting to appoint Division 4 Councillor

A Special Meeting will be held on Thursday 18 January at 3.30pm to appoint a Division 4 Councillor.

The eight nominees, who were tabled in the report originally published on Monday 11 December, will be considered for the vacant position.

The position became vacant following the resignation of former Mayor Bob Manning in November last year.

At the Ordinary Council Meeting on 22 November 2023, Cr Terry James, the former Deputy Mayor and Division 4 Councillor, was appointed Mayor of the Cairns Regional Council.

Under the LGA there is no requirement to hold an election to fill the vacant office of Councillor as the vacancy is now too close (within 12 months) to the next quadrennial local government election, set for 16 March 2024.

The vacant Division 4 Councillor position will be appointed by the following method:

• The Mayor will chair the meeting.
• The report before the meeting will identify the names of all nominees qualified to be a Councillor, including their candidate statement of selection.
• The Chair will call to suspend standing orders to allow more than one motion on the table.
• The Chair will call for a mover for a proposed nominee from the list to be appointed to the position of Division 4 Councillor.
• If there is a seconder, the nomination will lay on the table.
• Repeat until there are no more valid nominations.
• Offer each nominee the chance to speak for two (2) minutes.
• The Chair will then put to a vote the first nomination in the ordinary (and open) manner, as prescribed by section 254 of the Local Government Regulation 2012 (the Regulation) and Council’s Standing Orders. If a majority of Councillors vote to appoint the first nominee as Division 4 Councillor, that is the end of the Councillor appointment process.
• If the first nominee does not secure the majority support of Councillors, the motion to appoint the first nominee fails and the Chair then calls for a vote for the next nomination.
• The process will, if necessary, repeat itself until a nominee receives a majority of the vote of Councillors.
• Once a nominee has the majority vote, the Chair will ask the remaining nominees if they want to continue to call the vote.
• Each Councillor has only one vote.
• Once a majority of Councillors vote to appoint a Division 4 Councillor, that is the end of the Councillor appointment process.

Following their appointment by Council, the new Councillor will be sworn in.

The Special Meeting will be held at the Council Chamber, Level 3, 119-145 Spence Street, Cairns.

More information relating to the March 2024 local government election, for people who are considering nominating for the election can be viewed at www.ecq.qld.gov.au by calling 1300 881 665 or via email, ecq@ecq.qld.gov.au