Longreach by-election close fought by David Paterson, Ingrid Miller

Trailing by 14 votes to Longreach council employee Ingrid Miller early in the postal ballot count, Mr Paterson said he knew the outcome would be close.

At the cut-off for the return of ballot papers, at 5pm on Tuesday, Mr Paterson had 472 votes and Ms Miller finished with 461 votes.

Of the other three candidates, Mark Kinsey recorded 251 votes, West Irwin had 231 votes, and Robert Kempson mustered 190 votes.

Mr Paterson expected the next 12 months would be a big learning curve, before local government elections are held around the state next March.

Removing his motorbike helmet after a morning mustering and drafting sheep for weaning, Mr Paterson said knowledge gained from success in the by-election had been one of the attractions of nominating for it.

"I'll get that experience before the general election," he said.

He has been on wild dog and rural lands committees for the Longreach Regional Council for the past nine years and said he'd enjoyed the input he'd been able to have via those.

"I was standing for council as the next step in that," he said, adding that he was also keen to follow plans for the all-weather sealing of the Isisford-Bimerah Road through the council's budget process.

"It's a great connector for tourists from the Channel Country around Jundah and Stonehenge to the east, and a thoroughfare for road trains to cattle selling centres at Blackall and Roma," he said.

"The 100km road had 20km sealed in the Barcoo shire but that's vapourised.

"I understand the Barcoo shire is on board with the need for sealing."

The by-election was held to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of former councillor Tony Martin on November 25 last year.

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