Caloundra – Queensland 2024

Its reported in the Australian the LNP preselection for the Sunshine Coast seat of Caloundra, which Labor won for the first time in 2020, was expected between Alister Eiseman, a local car salesman, against Kendall Morton, former director of Home Care Assistance Sunshine Coast. It’s reported David Crisafulli preference would be Morton to try and meet their target for woman preselection’s. But Crisafulli won’t intervene fearing a backlash from rank and file similar to what happened for the Liberals in NSW.

On paper I know some think a swing to the LNP on the pendulum should be a LNP gain. But factors such as sophomore surge, Queensland’s swing not always uniform because its so decentralised, and Caloundra changing demographics throws up some uncertainty’s in this seat. It took MP Jason Hunt three attempts to win the seat of Caloundra. I imagine he won’t giving up the seat without a fight. This seat will be an interesting one to watch out for on election night.

Its been reported businesswoman Kendall Morton won the LNP preselection to contest the state seat of Caloundra.

This will be a real battleground along with others that flipped to Labor in 2020 or 2017.

The 2020 election was a perfect storm for the LNP – retiring member, disorganised party and of course, Covid. The beachside areas like Caloundra, Golden Beach and Pelican Waters all have a very high median age and a large population of over 60’s. I believe that a lot of them begrudgingly voted Labor in 2020 because of Queensland’s hard border – a very popular policy amongst this cohort. There was more fear pre-vaccine and when Covid was less than a year old. It also helped Labor when Palaszczuk, as a pandemic-era Premier, got all the airtime.

I sense this is leaning to the LNP as the normally conservative Pelican Waters and pre-poll and postal voters will return to the LNP as the Covid factor is gone. However, Caloundra West and Baringa are strongly Labor-leaning and have grown sharply in population. There’s also a growing Green vote in Dicky Beach and Caloundra. These forces may or may not save Labor.

At this stage, not sure which way this seat might go in 2024 but regardless it is likely to be split at the redistribution due after. The Aura & Hinterland parts in the west may likely remain competitive for Labor but the eastern parts that would keep the Caloundra name should return to LNP leaning.

I am really intrigued why this seat was won by Labor, was it mostly Covid or is there demographic change here helping Labor? During the Beattie years Labor never won this seat but did win Kawana which is now safe LNP which what i am not sure what makes this different to the rest of the Sunshine Coast.

@Nimalan maybe COVID and there may be some demographic change. Plus boundary changes.

Beattie and Bligh led Labor to be at least somewhat competitive on the Gold Coast but not on the Sunshine Coast, whereas Palaszczuk wasn’t that competitive on the Gold Coast or the Sunshine Coast, but under her leadership Labor managed to win seats like Keppel and Maryborough.

Nimalan, from what I read this seat based in the southern Sunshine Coast is undergoing a lot of growth with new residential estates being developed around Nirimba. Perhaps that is why it is trending more towards a swing district because the seat is no longer solely consisting of just retirees as was the case previously.

I guess after the 2012 landslide the landscape changed like it did in NSW after the 2011 landslide.

In 2007, Labor narrowly lost Port Stephens to the Liberals but regained it in 2015. At the same time, however, Labor still hasn’t regained seats like Badgerys Creek (formerly Mulgoa), Drummoyne, Kiama, Miranda, Oatley, Ryde, etc. And they held Bathurst before 2011 but they won’t get that back, in fact it’s now one of the safest Nationals seats in NSW. And then Bega and South Coast were held by the Liberals for a long time but since the South Coast gets attached to sitting MPs, when they retired, they fell.

Thanks Yoh An and Nether Portal
Yes the new housing estates maybe bringing a younger mortgage belt demographic so is a swing demographic. Agree It does seem that Palaszuck has not been competitive in the Gold Coast apart from holding onto Gaven which does not really have any waterfront anyway. They have been unable to win Bonney, Southport and Burleigh areas that during the Beattie/Bligh years were Labor held. The other seat they seem to miss out in Whitsunday. However, maybe they win Coomera someday as that is growing in population but again that has no real waterfront.

The inland areas of Caloundra West and Baringa and Nirimba are mortgage belt territory with a very low median age as they’re mostly young-ish families. They’ve got new-ish housing estates. Landsborough and Beerwah are more established but still have growing populations. Landsborough is quite Labor-friendly.

The correction in the beachside suburbs of Caloundra, Golden Beach and Pelican Waters will be enough to flip the seat. The aforementioned all have a very high median age and a large population of over 60’s and had swung to Labor during the pandemic.

Caloundra West – Baringa area is undergoing massive population growth. In the latest Regional Population report (22-23 financial year), the Caloundra West – Baringa SA2 grew by a further 9.8%. This has been consistent for the last few years, even preceding the 2020 State Election. This has caused the division of Caloundra to push over quota at +12.49% above average enrolment.

All good points above it will be interesting if massive population growth longer term forces the seat to loose territory West of the Bruce Highway and it consists purely of mortgage belt territory and beachside suburbs.

Caloundra will come back to the LNP this time, even with the gentrification. I can’t see how it doesn’t.

But it’ll be a seat that swings between the major parties given the volatility of the electorate.