The 2025 Hinchinbrook state by-election was held on 29 November 2025 to elect the member for Hinchinbrook in the Queensland Legislative Assembly, following the resignation of Katter's Australian Party (KAP) MP Nick Dametto.
Dametto, who had served as the member for Hinchinbrook since 2017, announced his resignation on 26 September 2025 in order to contest a by-election for Townsville mayor. Under Queensland law, candidates running for local government positions cannot be a member of a state or federal parliament.
Liberal National Party (LNP) candidate Wayde Chiesa won the by-election. It was the first time a sitting Queensland government has gained a seat in a by-election since Mulgrave in 1998.
Background
2024 election results
Candidates Candidates are listed in the order they appeared on the ballot. Party Candidate Background Wayde Chiesa Former RDA North Queensland CEO Steven Clare Former One Nation candidate for Thuringowa (2024) Maurie Soars Former Townsville councillor Aiden Creagh Locomotive driver and baker Mark Molachino Former deputy mayor of Townsville Amanda Nickson Former candidate for Burdekin (2024) and Dawson (2025) Luke Sleep Coal miner
Katter's Australian On 8 October 2025, the KAP announced its candidate would be Mark Molachino, a former deputy mayor of Townsville who served as the councillor for Division 4 from 2016 until losing his seat in 2024. Molachino was previously a member of the Labor Party. The People First Party has endorsed Molachino.
Dametto resigned from the KAP to contest the mayoral by-election as an independent. He has not endorsed a candidate in the Hinchinbrook by-election, saying "I don't really care if it's Katter that holds that seat afterwards, or the LNP or Labor Party, who knows, independent". However, Dametto confirmed on 21 November 2025 that he would vote for the KAP.
Liberal National Wayde Chiesa, the former Regional Development Australia (RDA) Townsville and North West Queensland CEO, was preselected as the Liberal National Party (LNP) candidate on 14 October 2025.
Labor The Labor Party confirmed on 14 October 2025 that it would contest the by-election. On 3 November 2025, it announced former Townsville councillor Maurie Soars would be its candidate.
One Nation Pauline Hanson's One Nation announced Lisa Buchtmann, a small business owner and former Australian Army truck driver, as its candidate on 15 October 2025. One week later, she withdrew her candidacy because of a personal health matter. Coal miner Luke Sleep replaced Buchtmann on 11 November 2025.
Others The Greens announced Aiden Creagh as its candidate on 8 November 2025.
How-to-vote cards Candidates can provide how-to-vote cards with recommendations for voters on how to preference other parties. Independent candidate Steven Clare did not submit a how-to-vote card.
The Katter's Australian Party issued two alternative cards, varying in the position of the LNP and Labor. One Nation recommended preferencing the LNP above the KAP; One Nation member and former federal MP George Christensen subsequently supported preferencing the KAP higher.
Candidate How-to-vote card (read column top down) 5 4 5/6 6 3 Steven Clare (Ind.) 6 6 5 4 4 4 5 2 5/6 5 6 3 4 2 3 2 5 2 4 6 3 2 3 2 3
Results
By polling place Polling place Primary vote2CP vote Bluewater 171 207 118 58 34 16 4 44.08% 55.92% Burdell 481 271 144 141 67 37 17 56.56% 43.44% Burdell North 309 293 99 94 67 34 15 49.51% 50.49% Cardwell 273 102 104 23 23 13 4 66.61% 33.39% Deeragun 409 367 124 93 51 16 10 50.37% 49.63% Forrest Beach 124 77 51 15 13 7 1 57.64% 42.36% Halifax 79 51 28 18 5 3 3 58.29% 41.71% Ingham 272 130 86 36 29 20 7 58.45% 41.55% Kennedy 81 31 56 8 6 2 0 63.04% 36.96% Long Pocket 83 34 14 7 6 2 3 65.10% 34.90% Lower Tully 208 200 113 42 31 7 4 47.77% 52.23% Lucinda 45 29 12 6 4 0 1 56.70% 43.30% Macknade 41 14 12 3 2 1 0 68.49% 31.51% Murray Upper 75 80 52 12 10 4 1 47.01% 52.99% Northern Beaches 326 347 124 80 38 25 14 48.85% 51.15% Returning Officer Hinchinbrook 2,900 1,326 513 329 85 109 33 62.93% 37.07% Rollingstone 113 113 80 27 8 9 7 44.82% 55.18% Rupertswood 460 510 217 112 39 30 14 46.38% 53.62% Toobanna 37 16 22 2 2 2 0 65.43% 34.57% Trebonne 63 9 8 0 1 0 0 83.95% 16.05% Victoria Estate 30 16 11 2 5 1 0 61.54% 38.46% Deeragun (early) 3,610 3,238 1,331 898 313 206 125 49.87% 50.13% Declaration votes (in-person) 77 67 31 26 11 5 2 50.23% 49.77% Declaration votes (Postal) 1,857 1,321 581 411 176 84 54 53.81% 46.19% Mobile polling 28 12 2 4 2 3 1 71.15% 28.85% Telephone voting 10 11 6 1 4 0 2 47.06% 52.94% Telephone voting (early) 109 92 72 42 14 10 11 55.14% 44.86%
See also 2025 Townsville mayoral by-election
References