The Cairns Unity Team, also known as Cairns Unity, the Unity Team or simply Unity, is an Australian political party that competes in local elections for Cairns Regional Council and is affiliated with the Liberal National Party.
Until the 2024 election, Unity had a majority on council and held the mayoralty.
Kevin Byrne, a former mayor who was defeated in 2008, had previously run his team under the name of "Cairns Unity Team".
History In January 2012, Bob Manning announced his intention to run for mayor of Cairns at the local government elections with a team of candidates under the name "Unity 2012". Manning considered the team to be apolitical. He was elected mayor with 55.61% of the vote, and six Unity councillors were successful.
Manning was re-elected in 2016, with Unity running in seven of nine wards.
In 2020, Manning was elected to a third term with 81.25% of the vote after preferences. Six Unity councillors were elected, giving the party a majority on the council.
Manning resigned as mayor in November 2023. Unity councillor Terry James was appointed as his replacement until the 2024 election, while Jeremy Neal (also a Unity member, and later an unsuccessful LNP candidate for federal parliament) was appointed to replace James in Division 4. Terry James was later elected as the Liberal National state MP for Mulgrave.
Electoral history Mayor Election year Mayoral candidate # ofoverall votes % ofoverall vote # ofoverall seats won +/– 2012 Bob Manning 1 2016 Bob Manning 2020 Bob Manning 47,171 66.97 2024 Terry James 20,187 24.04 1
Councillors Election year # ofoverall votes % ofoverall vote # ofoverall wards won +/– Council control (term) 2012 6Unity majority (2012−2024) 2016 2020 26,395 2024 3No overall control
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