Sarah from  The Voice of Today's Apathetic Youth gives her take on the BCC wash-up. 

Yesterday, Brisbane returned Campbell Newman along with a Liberal majority council for the first time in 15 years.

Senator Andrew Bartlett gives his take on the local elections in Brisbane.

Local government elections were held around Queensland yesterday. As with most elections over the last 20 years, I spent a large chunk of the day at a polling booth.

Mike from Cairnsblog considers the rise of Cairns' first female mayor, Val Schier.

Although neither Byrne or Schier has conceded or claimed victory, it looks likely that within the next 48 hours, Cairns' will usher in it's first female mayor in 130 years.

Schier holds the lead on 27,509 votes or 47.11%. Incumbent Mayor, Kevin Byrne, gained 25,843 on the election night count, 44.26%.

On election day, Mike from Cairnsblog vows to soldier on with his online independent journalism.  

I've been looking forward to writing this column.

It signals the end of the line for questioning and battling what we see as this local Council's inability and incompetence to work with the people.

I started this exercise only mid last year, and was spurred to do so from many far from satisfactory interactions with the Cairns City Council.