Outrage as Townsville is named as the sh*ttest town in Australia

The coastal city of Townsville has been dubbed Australia’s ‘supreme s***hole of the year’ – but not everyone agrees.

The north-eastern Queensland city topped the tongue-in-cheek list in this year’s countdown ran by the satirical Facebook page S**t Towns of Australia, receiving the most votes from the group’s 500,000 followers.

Just over 36 per cent of voters listed Townsville as their least favourite city, with most crediting the high levels of crime as its downfall.

But a year of Covid-19 lockdowns and explosion in cases also played on the voters’ minds, with the entire state of NSW coming in at second, winning 30 per cent of votes.

The mammoth four-month lockdown is expected to be to blame, as infections in NSW jumped the border into Victoria, prompting more restrictions around the east coast.

Coming in at third place was the popular beachside suburb of Byron Bay, which received 20 per cent of votes with Sydney’s Mount Druitt in fourth place. 

Despite topping the list, some Townsville locals were quick to defend their home town, with one saying ‘it’s not as bad as what people make it out to be’.

‘Townsville has a lot to offer. We have the biggest military base here in Australia. We also have a university to further peoples careers,’ he said.

The popular beach town of Byron Bay came in at third, with 20 per cent of voters listing it as their least favourite town

‘There is also some nice beaches where you can camp. You are within an 80km radius to go see a rainforest.

‘Property values are cheap compared to other places. There’s also a lot of work available if you are looking for a job.’

Others too disagreed with Townsville’s newest title. 

One man who used to live in the coastal town told Daily Mail Australia the votes had clearly come from those who hadn’t lived there.

‘Anyone who says it’s Australia’s worst town hasn’t lived there. It’s a place with real soul, a bright future and is the undisputed capital of North Queensland,’ he said.

‘Townsville has a lot of great qualities. Yes, I admit it is quite dry but the terrain does not determine the town,’ said another.

‘Seriously? The Barrier reef on the doorstep and the rainforest is nearby in Townsville,’ wrote one.

‘I loved Townsville. There are far worse places to name as a s***hole,’ another Queensland weighed in.

One resident said they loved their city but admitted the high level of crime was a major downside, with data suggesting the city has some of the most dangerous postcodes in Queensland.

Meanwhile, others who call Townsville home were just happy to have their town win anything at all.

Logan, also in Queensland, took out the unwanted gong last year – the second time in a row, just beating Nimbin in NSW and Adelaide. 

The entire state of NSW came in at second, with explosions of Covid-19 cases to blame