Dametto Did It!

Former Member for Hinchinbrook Voted In As Townsville Mayor

By Rachael Smith

Following a whirlwind campaign and a significant leap of faith, former Member for Hinchinbrook Nick Dametto has won his bid to become the next Mayor of Townsville.

Dametto stepped down from his role as local MP just over a month ago, stating that he wanted to give Townsville the Mayor it deserved.

On Saturday night, Dametto claimed victory and is now Mayor-elect, ahead of the formal declaration expected in the coming days.

Nick Dametto Becomes Mayor of Townsville

After serving as Member for Hinchinbrook for the past eight years and Deputy Leader of Katter’s Australian Party since 2021, Nick Dametto made the bold decision last month to run for Townsville’s Mayoralty.

Acknowledging the move as a ‘step down’ and a ‘wage cut’, Dametto said the decision was driven by a bigger purpose — giving the people of Townsville the leader they deserve.

“I want Townsville to be proud of the leader they’ve elected,” Dametto stated on Monday morning.

“I want to give them someone who can act as an ambassador for the region, I want to help deliver pride and prosperity for all.”

Dametto thanked residents of the Hinchinbrook Shire for their support over the past eight years.

“Thank you for backing me for all those years – we wanted to leave Hinchinbrook in a better place than when we started, and I believe we did that.”

Committed to a grassroots campaign, Dametto said he spent considerable time engaging directly with the community throughout the election period.

“It was almost like a silent auction” he shared, referring to the postal-vote system used over the weekend.

Rather than being at polling booths, Dametto spent Saturday speaking with residents at a local tavern before heading to the vote-counting centre at 6pm.

He watched the tallying with scrutineers and said that “from the out-set there was strong support”, and by 9pm he believed it was a “done deal”.

Dametto praised his Campaign Manager, Catherine Holden, who he described as “an absolute God-send”, and acknowledged Matthew Pew for organising a dedicated team to deliver pamphlets.

“I would also like to thank everyone who supported me in any way – from displaying a bumper sticker to putting up a core flute – every gesture was a huge help.”

The Electoral Commission of Queensland is expected to officially declare the Mayoralship in the coming days. Once Dametto receives the paperwork, he will be sworn in.

When asked what his first few weeks as Mayor will look like, Dametto said he plans a ‘back to basics blitz’.

“A big thing for me is the proper maintenance of the city – I want to give the people a city they can be proud of,” he shared.

“If they put out a bin on Wednesday night, they deserve to have it picked up on Thursday morning.”

Dametto added that he will be engaging with all Councillors and the CEO, noting he looks forward to bringing the Council together to work as a united team.

Following the announcement, Premier David Crisafulli expressed his support.

“The people of Townsville have strongly backed Nick Dametto for Mayor,” he said.

“This result will give this proud city the local leadership it needs and deserves.

“Congratulations Nick - our Government looks forward to working with you to deliver better outcomes for a great city.”

As Dametto steps into his new role, Hinchinbrook now awaits a by-election to determine who will become the next local MP.

The election is scheduled for Saturday 29 November.

Candidates who have announced their intention to run include: Mark Molachino for Katter’s Australian Party, Wayde Chiesa for the Liberal National Party of Queensland, Maurie Soars for the Australian Labor Party, Amanda Nickson for Family First, Aiden Creagh for the Greens, Luke Sleep for One Nation, and Independent Steven Clare.

“With the upcoming by-election,” said Dametto, “I hope that the winners are the people of Hinchinbrook”.

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