By JOLENE OGLE
RETURNED Member for Noosa Glen Elmes is among the seven local members who have retained their seats following a shock State Election.
While Queensland is fast becoming a sea of red, the LNP secured a pocket of blue on the Sunshine Coast with all previous members retaining their seats.
Among those returned to their seats are Independent Member for Nicklin Peter Wellington, who has represented Nicklin since 1998, controversial Member for Kawana, Jarrod Bleijie, and Member for Maroochydore Fiona Simpson, who is tipped to lead the LNP.
Mr Elmes secured 48.61 per cent of the votes in Saturday’s State Election, but suffered an almost 20 per cent swing when compared to the 2012 election results.
While Mr Elmes said the Sunshine Coast and Noosa voters were “very, very clever” for retaining their current members, he blamed the swing on apprehensive voters who didn’t agree with current LNP policies.
“I would think, because we experienced it on the booths, there were a lot of people saying ‘Glen, I can’t vote for you because of Newman’ or ‘Glen, I can’t vote for you because of asset leasing … but otherwise I would’,” he said.
With the exception of the upgrade of Noosa-Eumundi Road, Mr Elmes said he doubted any of the promises made by LNP prior to the election would come to be.
“Obviously, (with) a new government they’re not going to want to honour the commitments of the previous government,” he said.
“The Noosa Hospital, the Noosa River, the paving around the Aussie Rules (Weyba Rd) grounds, will go out the door. Which is really unfortunate. Particularly in terms of the river and the hospital.
“There will be a lot of things that were going to happen on the Sunshine Coast that aren’t going to happen now.”
But Mr Elmes said he would continue to fight for Noosa in the State Parliament.
“I’ll have to start the fight all over again,” he said.
Noosa Council Mayor Noel Playford said Mr Elmes had the backing of council and he was certain Mr Elmes would continue to fight for Noosa.
“Council trusts Glen Elmes, as the local member, will fight for his local community’s interests at the state level,” he said.
“Council is ready and willing to work with both Mr Elmes and the State Government, whatever its political colours, to achieve good outcomes for Noosa.”
BREAKOUT
Election results by electorate:
Buderim Steve Dickson LNP 53.05% votes
Caloundra Mark McArdle LNP 43.32% votes
Gympie Tony Perrett LNP 41.76% votes
Kawana Jarrod Bleijie LNP 50.81% votes
Maroochydore Fiona Simpson LNP 49.01% votes
Nicklin Peter Wellington Indep 44.59% votes
Noosa Glen Elmes LNP 48.61% votes
