Wide Bay (QLD)
Wide Bay is a federal electoral division in QLD covering 14,602.4 km², currently held by Llew O'Brien (NAT). It is the 27th largest of 150 divisions by area and the 20th least populous of 149 divisions by population. Australian Government grant awards placed here total $1.6m across 92 awards in the 4 months to 6 Nov 2026 (collection began 1 Jul 2026).
See the Wide Bay boundary summary for the state and council areas and suburbs it covers.
Statistics
| Area | 14,602.4 km² |
|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 152,236 |
| Population density | 10.43/km² |
| Median age | 49 |
| Median personal income | $600/week |
| Median household income | $1,213/week |
| Median family income | $1,461/week |
| Median rent | $300/week |
| Median mortgage repayment | $1,440/month |
| Average household size | 2.4 |
| Average persons per bedroom | 0.8 |
How Wide Bay compares
Ranked against the other federal divisions with data for the same measure; "median" is the median across those divisions' values.
- Area: 14,602.4 km², the 27th largest of 150 divisions with data; 47.0 times the median of 310.8 km².
- Population (2021 Census): 152,236, the 20th least populous of 149 divisions with data; 9% below the median of 168,080.
- Population density: 10.4/km², the 27th least densely populated of 149 divisions with data; 2% of the median of 522.5/km².
- Median personal income: $600/week, the 5th lowest of 149 divisions with data; 23% below the median of $778/week.
- Median rent: $300/week, the 30th lowest of 149 divisions with data; 20% below the median of $375/week.
Where Wide Bay is near the top or bottom of a list, see: Least populous federal electorates · Federal electorates with the lowest median income. All rankings →
Election (2025)
| Enrolment | 123,153 |
|---|---|
| Turnout | 89.29% (+0.6 swing) |
| Informal vote | 4.46% (-1.96 swing) |
| Result (two-candidate-preferred) | Llew O'Brien (LNP) 57.63% (margin 7.6pts) (-3.71 swing) |
| National benchmark (notional Labor v Coalition) | Liberal/National Coalition 57.63% (margin 7.6pts) (+3.71 swing) |
First preferences, every candidate (★ = elected):
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Llew O'Brien ★ | LNP | 41,055 | 39.08% | -4.39pts |
| Elliott Chalmers | Australian Labor Party | 27,271 | 25.96% | +4.7pts |
| Chad Burgess | Pauline Hanson's One Nation | 12,646 | 12.04% | +1.84pts |
| Emma Buhse | The Greens | 9,080 | 8.64% | -0.86pts |
| Kirsti Kenningale | Family First | 5,394 | 5.13% | +5.13pts |
| Casey Iddon | Independent | 5,090 | 4.84% | +4.84pts |
| Gabrial Pennicott | Trumpet of Patriots | 4,522 | 4.3% | +3.78pts |
Grants received
Grant awards published on GrantConnect, 1 Jul 2026 to 6 Nov 2026 (Political Gadgets' collection began with July 2026 publications). Source: GrantConnect, via Political Gadgets' grants page for Wide Bay.
| Total value | $1,578,355 (92 awards) |
|---|---|
| Delivered in the electorate | $236,741 (45 awards) |
| Recipient based here (delivery location not given) | $1,341,614 (47 awards) |
Each award is placed by its delivery postcode, or by the recipient's registered postcode when no delivery postcode is given. Many of the second kind are local organisations whose delivery location simply wasn't recorded, but they also include national organisations headquartered here, which is why city-centre seats can show large totals for money that is actually spent elsewhere.
Top recipients
| Recipient | Awards | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Returned & Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) Gympie Sub-Branch Inc. | 1 | $619,236 |
| Lukahraine Pty Ltd | 1 | $440,000 |
| Returned & Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) Murgon Sub-Branch Inc. | 2 | $76,687 |
| The Returned & Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) Mary Valley Sub Branch Inc. | 1 | $72,186 |
| Goodstart Early Learning Ltd | 1 | $55,000 |
Largest awards
| Award | Recipient | Program | Placed by | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GA589402 | Returned & Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) Gympie Sub-Branch Inc. | Building Excellence in Support and Training (BEST) | Recipient based here | $619,236 |
| GA579857 | Lukahraine Pty Ltd | CCCF Open Competitive Sustainability Support | Recipient based here | $440,000 |
| GA588879 | The Returned & Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) Mary Valley Sub Branch Inc. | Building Excellence in Support and Training (BEST) | Recipient based here | $72,186 |
| GA590787 | Goodstart Early Learning Ltd | CCCF Open Competitive Capital Support | Recipient based here | $55,000 |
| GA579329 | Returned & Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) Murgon Sub-Branch Inc. | Veteran Wellbeing Grants | Recipient based here | $40,000 |
See every grant award in Wide Bay →
Member
| Member | Llew O'Brien (NAT) |
|---|---|
| Positions held | — |
Voting attendance
67.1% (1,405 of 2,093 possible votes). Source: Australian Parliament division records.
Expenses claimed, 2025Q03 to 2026Q02
Total: $563,329 over 4 quarters. Source: IPEA, via Political Gadgets' expenses section.
| Employee Travel | $43,043 |
|---|---|
| International Travel | $0 |
| Office Facilities | $131,435 |
| Office Administration | $276,591 |
| Other Car Costs | $31,567 |
| Scheduled Commercial Transport | $14,545 |
| Unscheduled Commercial Transport | $9,443 |
| Travel Allowance | $38,701 |
| Telecommunications | $3,854 |
Clusters
| Position tier | Backbencher (84 electorates) |
|---|---|
| Area band | 10,000–100,000 km² (17 electorates) |
| State | QLD (30 electorates) |
| Urban/rural | Rural/Regional (51 electorates) |
Previous / next in Queensland (alphabetical): ← Ryan · Wright →
Other electorates in Queensland
Blair · Bonner · Bowman · Brisbane · Capricornia · Dawson · Dickson · Fadden · Fairfax · Fisher · Flynn · Forde · Griffith · Groom · Herbert · Hinkler · Kennedy · Leichhardt · Lilley · Longman · Maranoa · McPherson · Moncrieff · Moreton · Oxley · Petrie · Rankin · Ryan · Wright
AEC profile · They Vote For You · Llew O'Brien on Political Gadgets
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Geometry: AEC federal electoral boundaries (2025). Demographics: ABS Data API (Census 2021, CED 2021 boundaries). Election results: AEC 2025 tally room. Expenses: IPEA via indexpenses. Grants: GrantConnect via grants. Attendance & positions: Political Gadgets' own Australian Parliament division-record data. See the popup for licensing and caveats.