The 2012 Townsville City Council election was held on 28 April 2012 to elect a mayor and 10 councillors to the City of Townsville. The election was held as part of the statewide local elections in Queensland, Australia.^[1]

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2012 Townsville City Council election

← 2008 28 April 2012 2016 →

Mayor

First party Second party Third party   TF IND Candidate Jenny Hill Dale Last Jeff Jimmieson Party Team Jenny Hill Townsville First Independent Popular vote 28,508 26,898 15,301 Percentage 33.74% 31.83% 18.11% Swing 33.74 31.83 18.11 2CP 51.58% 48.42% 2CP swing 51.58 48.42

Mayor before election Les Tyrell Team Tyrell Subsequent Mayor Jenny Hill Team Jenny Hill

Councillors

All 11 members on the City Council (including the Mayor) 6 seats needed for a majority

Party Leader % Seats +/– Townsville First Dale Last 7 +7 Team Jenny Hill Jenny Hill 2 +2 Independent N/A 1 +1 This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.

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Incumbent mayor Les Tyrell chose to retire from politics and did not recontest his position. Councillor Jenny Hill narrowly won the mayoralty with 51.58% of the vote after preferences, however Townsville First won a majority on council.^[2]

At the previous election in 2008, the Labor Party, which had controlled the council for 32 years − the longest-serving Labor administration in Australia − was defeated in a landslide by the conservative Team Tyrell, which won all but one of the councillor positions. Incumbent mayor Tony Mooney was among the ALP members defeated.^[3]

Less than a year after being elected, Team Tyrell councillor Rob McCahill announced his resignation on 9 October 2008, claiming that a "political witch-hunt" was threatening to destroy his family.^[4] As the council was unsubdivided, the entire LGA had to vote in the by-election on 22 November, which was won by independent candidate Trevor Roberts. Team Tyrell did not contest the election.^[5]

Changes to the council's structure were brought in for the 2012 election, with 10 single-member wards (also known as divisions) introduced.^[6]

Incumbent mayor Les Tyrell announced on 27 October 2011 that he would retire from politics after 32 years, which included 17 years as Thuringowa mayor.^[7]

Councillor Dale Last, who was elected on the Team Tyrell ticket in 2008, announced he would run for mayor and lead the Townsville First group, which ran candidates − including six serving Team Tyrell councillors − in all wards. Trevor Roberts also stood for the group.^[8]

Labor did not contest the election. Jenny Hill, the only sitting Labor member on council, also ran for the mayoralty and formed Team Jenny Hill.