On Monday March 25 the Electoral Commission formally declared Melissa Hamilton as the new mayor of the Southern Downs with 46.84 per cent of the vote, compared to 37.05 per cent for Vic Pennisi and 16.11 per cent for Lindsay Goodwin.

“I feel incredibly privileged and grateful that Southern Downs residents have chosen me to be their Mayor,” said Melissa.

“Allora was one of my strongest booths, where I secured 53.22 per cent of the primary vote. I will remember the faith that the Allora community have put in me, and will work my hardest to repay their trust,” said Melissa.

Melissa paid tribute to her fellow mayoral candidates, saying “I would like to thank Mr Pennisi for his 20 years of service on council including the last 4 years as Mayor of Southern Downs. This is a long commitment not only from Mr Pennisi but also from his wife Sharon and his whole family in serving our community.”

“I would also like to thank Lindsay Goodwin for contesting the mayoral race, and thereby ensuring that voters in the Southern Downs had a strong field of candidates to choose from,” said Melissa.

The Councillor ballot is still being counted, but local candidate Carla Pidgeon has polled strongly and is currently in second position with 11,748 votes.

“I am very glad to see that Allora will have their own local representative, and I look forward to working closely with Carla on our new Council,” said Melissa.

This article appeared in the Allora Advertiser, 27 March 2024.